Second Chances
by LuceoNonUro
Summary: Sometimes you meet a stranger who looks exactly like someone you once knew. Sometimes life gives us second chances. It's up to us what to make of them. SS/OC, HP/OC, HG/RW, DM/OC and a lot more...
1. Introduction

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Introduction  


Hi, out there.  


Feel privileged, you're going to enjoy my first attempt at a FanFic. At least I hope you'll enjoy it... *grin*  
  
It is set in Harry's fifth year and will take Hogwarts' Potions Master for the ride of his life. But don't worry, the others will join him soon.  
I plan to make it a big adventure with plenty of romance. Pairings will be RW/HG and the rest/OCs, with at least one same-sex couple.   
Oh, and two of the OCs will seem quite familiar to you... *smile* I sooo love coincidences...  


I have to say a few things first, so be nice and read them before you go on to the first chapter.  


Unfortunately, English is not my first language. So please be patient with me, smile about my mistakes and tell me so that I can correct them. If anyone would like to beta this story, feel free to contact me and kindly do so. I will be very grateful and you will get the new chapters first. *wink*  
  
Suggestions and constructive criticism will be highly appreciated. Do not hesitate to give me your opinion on the story. I want to make it really good!

Now there's only one other thing left. Read it well, because I'm not going to write it again. I hate repeating myself. *scowl*  


DO. NOT. SUE. ME.  


Everyone who read the books knows that the HP-Universe is copyrighted by J.K. Rowling.  
This here is fan fiction and as such intended to be fun for me to write and for you to read, okay?  


Should the persons in my story in any way exist for real, I hope they will forgive me my ignorance and take no offense, for none is meant.  


Well, I guess that's all.

*smile*

Here we go!  


Greetings,  
Scheckie


	2. Prove Yourself!

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 01: Prove yourself!

  
  


A dark room that could be anywhere. Cauldrons, fires, potion ingredients- a lab. A tall, dark-haired man stirring a thick liquid.  


Severus Snape was nervous. He surely had enough reason to be. Ever since his return to the Dark Lord he couldn't get rid of the impression that Voldemort knew of his continued spying. Oh, of course, he had punished his disloyal servant. More than once in fact. He still did. Severus couldn't remember having seen Poppy so often since his school days when she had taught a medical potions class. But he was still alive.  
  
He wondered what his former master was up to. Though he was not sure if he really wanted to know.  


Checking the potion, he saw that it was almost finished. That was another piece of the puzzle. What the hell did Voldemort need Polyjuice Potion for? Especially after the whole Barty-Crouch-Jr.-Affair Albus had taken to keeping an even closer eye on nearly everyone who entered the halls of the school. Although the headmaster had been severely limited by the restrictions the Ministry of Magic had made, he had managed to keep Severus in his position and have the blasted werewolf return to teach DADA. He scowled. A pity no one else had applied for the job and the Ministry had made it quite clear that Severus had to be grateful he was allowed to stay as a Potions Master. He should never have showed his mark to that idiot, Fudge. Didn't do any good, that.

  
He sighed. He had greater worries at the moment. The Dark Lord had called him more frequently during the last months, testing his loyalty, and though he was reluctant to admit it, it started to wear him out. He feared he would make a mistake someday soon and it would be his last. And although he went to every Summoning with the knowledge he that he would one day not return, he still answered the calls. It was the least he could do after he had failed them- had failed Lily- so miserably. He had vowed to protect her and yet she was dead now. It would take a lot of suffering on his side to make up for that in his lifetime. If he ever could, that is.  


With a start he woke from his thoughts as the potion changed its color. 'Get a grip on yourself, Severus! Self-pity won't get you out of here alive.' He dimmed the fire so that it would keep the potion simmering and tried to muster the energy to face Voldemort once again. With a bit of luck he would be back to Hogwarts soon. And while it was Christmas holidays, he thankfully wouldn't have to put up with all the noisy dunderheads calling themselves students and could have dinner in his rooms instead after reporting to Albus. That thought cheered him up and he left the room for the halls where the Dark Lord resided.

  
  


***************

  
  


The room he entered was quite big with high ceilings. A throne-like armchair was standing on an elevated area in front of the huge fireplace, the dancing flames surrounding the throne like an aura and obscuring the person on it. Only the eyes, glowing for a brief moment, gave away the Dark Lord's presence.  
Smooth strides took Severus to the middle of the room, where he sank down on one knee, bowing his head. The hall fell silent when the other Death Eaters gathered in a half-circle around him as was proper protocol. The silence lasted a full minute before the Dark Lord decided to address his servant.  


"Severus. I take it the potion is finished?"  
"Yes, my Master. Everything is ready for the last ingredient."  
"How much could you prolong the effect?"  
"I managed to make it last two and a half hours, my Master. All above that requires an amount of Boomslang skin that would render it poisonous."  
  
Murmur rose around him. Of the many Potions Masters who had tried, Severus Snape was the first to accomplish that delicate task. He was one of the best indeed and had once again proved his worth to the Dark Lord. Voldemort raised a spidery hand and the voices died down.  
  
"I never expected anything less from you."  
"I live to serve you, my Master"  
"Indeed?" So softly. Then: "You may rise, Severus."  
  
Severus did so in one fluid motion, keeping his eyes down in feigned respect.   
The Dark Lord eyed him warily.  
  
"You were once one of my most loyal Death Eaters, Severus. Then you turned to that antiquated fool, Dumbledore. I could have killed you when you came back to me again. But I chose not to. You are highly gifted in both Potions and the Dark Arts. A shame to waste such precious knowledge. So you were given a second chance.  
Now the time has come to prove you were worthy of this honor. To show me I can trust you again. To become what you once have been: my true servant."  
  
Severus had grown colder with every word. What would Voldemort ask of him this time?   
  
"Look at me, Severus."  
  
He lifted his gaze obediently until black eyes met red.  
  
"Dumbledore watches his school far too closely now for any of us to achieve our goals. But I have found a way that will enable us to get rid of the old Muggle-lover, take over Hogwarts and along with it Harry Potter as well. The potion was the first part of it. But it still lacks the last ingredient."  
  
The Dark Lord locked his gaze with Severus'.  
  
"Hair," he said gently, but with steel behind it."_Your_ hair, my Severus. Dumbledore's trust is his great weakness. His trust in you will make me able to access the castle and kill him before he even realizes that it is not not you who casts the deadly curse on him. Without him, the Potter Boy stands no chance and the Wizarding World will be ours again."  
  
He paused and looked at Severus expectantly.  
  
"What do you say, my servant? Will you help me with my plan and return to your former greatness? Or was Lucius right, and the years with the old fool have made you change your heart?"

  
***************  


A/N: Nasty choice poor Severus has to make, eh? Will he find a way to save Hogwarts? Will he want to? You'll see... soon.

  
Greetings,  
Scheckie


	3. Decide Quickly!

Second Chances

  
  


A/N: This chapter is for **Sage and Snape**, my very first reviewer!!! Thanks! Reviews really make one write faster. I never realized that before.  
And **Tina-Snape**, yes, the incomplete sentences were intentional. Thanks to you, too.

  
  


  
  


Chapter 02: Decide Quickly!

  
  


  
  


Cold sweat ran down Severus' back.

  
  


It was over. No matter what he chose,Voldemort would carry out his plan, with his consent or with him as a captive. Either way, Hogwarts would fall. The realization flashed through his mind in the fracture of a second. The only thing he could do was try to escape.

  
  


His hand flew to the pendant on the chain around his neck, but nothing happened.

  
  


Voldemort's gaze darkened and Severus felt the blood drain from his face as he frantically gripped his wand, only to hear his former Master hiss: "Expelliarmus!" The fine ebony wand was torn out of his hold and landed in the Dark Lord's outstretched hand.

  
  


"Really, Severus, did you think I would not know the Portkey for what it is and allow you to keep it ready and functioning?  
I am more than disappointed with you. Crucio!"

  
  


The familiar pain flooded him and send him to the floor, while Voldemort lazily rose from his throne and descended the few steps to the main hall. Looking down on Severus with disdain for several moments, the Dark Lord said in a cold voice:

  
  


"You are a disgrace to Slytherin. I offered you a place at my side and the only thing you can think of is running back to Dumbledore. But your dear Headmaster can't save you now, Severus. He will not even be able to save himself. "

  
  


He paused, deliberately extending the torture.

  
  


"Hogwarts will fall, thanks to your generous help, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.  
Finite Incantatem."

  
  


Severus lay in a heap on the cold stone floor, trembling slightly. He had experienced the Cruciatus many times, but the pain was always as intense and overwhelming as the first time. He didn't know how long he had been under the curse, but in the timeless world of agony it seemed like an eternity had passed.

  
  


"Lucius."

  
  


The Dark Lord turned to the silver-blond Death Eater on his right.

  
  


"Break his wand. Then take him to the dungeons and make sure he will stay there. And don't forget the hair."

  
  


Malfoy bowed deeply.

  
  


"All will be done as you command, my lord."

  
  


Turning to the others, he ordered:

  
  


"Crabbe, Goyle, get him to his feet. It would be a pity if he couldn't get a last glance at his wand just because he's lying on his face."

  
  


Severus felt strong arms grasp him roughly and haul him up. Despite the pain it caused, he remained limp, gathering his strength for his last and only chance.

  
  


"Oh come on, Severus, look up. Surely you don't want to miss the sight?" Malfoy sneered.

  
  


Taking a deep breath, Severus lifted his head, carefully taking in the position of his wand in the other man's hands as well as the malicious smirk. When Malfoy shifted his grip on the wand, slowly starting to bend it, he released his remaining magical power and transformed.

  
  


The black panther slid out of the dazzled Death Eaters' grasp without effort and leaped at Malfoy. The blond was way too taken aback by the new course of things to fight him, and Severus had his wand back in no time. Shifting back to human, he croaked "Apparate!" just when the first curses came searing at him. He felt one of them, coming directly from none other than Voldemort himself, hit not his body but his wand, setting his hand afire with pain in the same moment the room started to fade around him.

  
  


Then he was gone.

  
  


***************

  
  


A/N: Well, that was a near miss. Will Severus manage to keep from splinching himself? Where will he land? And what will he do?  
I already know, and you 'll learn, too... soon.

  
  


Greetings,  
Scheckie

  
  


PS: I hate the way FanFiction.Net is changing my formatting... *scowl*

  
  


  
  



	4. Lucky Me!

Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 03: Lucky Me!

  
  


When the world returned around him, he found himself in the middle of nowhere. The Dark Mark was hurting like hell and his hand felt as if it had been burnt. When he checked it, he saw it was indeed scorched and his wand a blackened piece of wood.

  
  


'Damn, that was a fine wand. Even though I got it shortly after taking the Mark. But I really liked it.'

  
  


Feeling for the phials in his pockets, he found them broken as well.

  
  


'Alright. No potions then. Must be my lucky day.' he thought sarcastically. 'Now I'm not only stuck here, but weakened and defenseless as well. I'm far too exhausted to do any wandless magic in the near future.' Looking up, he asked himself: 'Where is here anyway?'

  
  


A chilly gust cut through his black cloak like an answer to his question.

  
  


He shivered in the cold wind and realized he was standing on a snow-covered field under a clear, star-spangled night sky. On his left were mountains, forest on his right , and in front of him a big lake that reflected the light of the rising full moon. He thought for a moment and his gaze returned to the mountains, one in particular. Standing out from the others due to its height, the soft moonlight illuminated its features and revealed the form of an eagle. 

  
  


Severus groaned. The Guardian Eagle! Then the forest had to be the DarkWood. 

  
  


He was miles and miles away from Hogsmead where he had aimed to go. Well, he could consider himself lucky that he was still in one piece and no longer at the Serpent's Nest. At least the snaky bastard had nothing from him he could use in the Polyjuice Potion now. Severus intended to keep it that way.

  
  


The howl of a wolf made him look back to the forest and he shuddered. The Forbidden Forest was a garden compared to the wilderness he was facing. Some of the most dangerous creatures in Britain had made it their safe-heaven and guarded it ferociously. Nobody who had entered it during the last five decades had been able to make his way out again.

  
  


'Hagrid would surely like it.' Severus thought wryly, trying absentmindedly to flex the fingers of his injured hand. The hot pain searing up his arm told him that it was a rather bad idea and he stopped it immediately. Thankfully the cold air numbed the pain soon. 

  
  


'Delightful. No wand, no potions, one hand useless... No way to get back to Hogwarts. I can't even send them a warning. No owl in its right mind would live out here. I'm as good as dead.'

  
  


He considered his options briefly and came to a conclusion. There was only one thing left to do.

  
  


'Well, I better make sure I am indeed quite dead before my former colleagues come and find me. And since I can't count on the cold to finish me off in time...'

  
  


Turning to the gloomy forest, he slowly, but determinedly started walking towards it.

  
  


'I just hope whatever gets me makes it a quick kill...'

  
  


The DarkWood only lay there in silence and waited for him.

  
  


***************

  
  


A/N: The Guardian Eagle was inspired by a postcard I found at a fair. If you want to have a look, go to www.hpkolb-gallery.de .   
It's one of the 'Postkarten' in the shop.  
As for poor Severus... What will happen to him in the forest? We'll see...

  
  


Greetings,  
Scheckie


	5. That Hurt!

Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 04: That Hurt!

  
  


He was cold. Although the trees provided some shelter from the icy wind, the warming charm on his robes fought a loosing battle against the frost in the air. And he was getting tired. He didn't know for how long he had been walking, just that he had covered a fair distance and was well into the wood by now.

And he felt like something was watching him. Ever since he had passed the first trees, he couldn't get rid of the feeling of eyes following his every move.

But so far nothing had happened.

'Must really be my lucky day.' he thought ironically. 

Maybe it would yet be the cold that finally got him. His body ceased from aching bit by bit and he knew what that meant.

Slowly, the sound of running water made its way into his weary mind and he noticed his throat was still raw and dry from the Cruciatus. Changing direction, he followed the soft murmur to a clearing and spotted a brook. Kneeing down, he dipped his good hand into the water, gasping at the chilling sensation, cupped some of the cold liquid and leaned down to drink. It was icy and sweet and surprisingly made him feel better. More alive.

When he looked up again, he found himself staring into the yellow eyes of a huge black wolf on the other side of the brook.

For a moment he froze in shock, before fear made him jump up and back.

'Why? Why a werewolf of all the dark creatures in the blasted forest? Lucky day, my ass!'

He had planned on dying calmly and in all of the little dignity he had left , but the hungry eyes of the predator brought back the memory of another night, another pair of eyes looking at him in the same fashion. Terror flooded him as he continued to move backwards, certain that the beast would leap at him the moment he turned his back on it.

The werewolf's yellow gaze never left him as it lazily hopped over the brook and approached him slowly.

When his back hit a trunk, he knew it was over. He would die know. The werewolf started to growl and bared its fangs at him. It knew, too.

He saw it tense, preparing for the final strike, and taking a step forward he stood and closed his eyes in defeat.

He heard it jump at him and...

... a scream?

There was no time to analyze the sound any farther as the werewolf's body crushed into him, smashed him hard into the tree and sent him to the ground.

'That hurt!'

The world around him started to fade.

The last thing he saw was the blurred image of a beautiful woman with dark red hair and brilliant green eyes.

"Lily?" he tried to whisper.

'Perhaps dying is not so bad after all...'

Then darkness claimed him and for once, he welcomed it.

***************

A/N: That's an evil cliffie, I know. Bad me. *grin*  
And because of that, I've already posted the next chapter. Did Severus survive the attack? Read on to find out...

  
  


Greetings,  
Scheckie

  
  



	6. I'm Alive?

Second Chances

  
  


  
  


Chapter 05: I'm Alive?

  
  


Drifting in and out of consciousness with nearly no difference between dream and reality, time lost its meaning to him. The only steady component in his world of darkness and pain was Lily. She was always there, cooling his hot face when he seemed to burn inside out, warming him when the darkness froze him, chasing away the bad dreams with words of comfort, holding him, caring for him. He tried to tell her he was sorry, sorry for not having been able to protect her, sorry for failing her, but he didn't know whether he actually said it, or just dreamed about it.

Slowly, everything faded to darkness until he opened his eyes and the world returned to him. Unsure if he was still dreaming, he shut his eyes once more and opened them again, only to find himself to the same scene. The pain in his hand and his body was almost gone. He was comfortably warm and lying on something soft in what seemed to be a cave. A small fire was lit in the middle of it and the smell of some kind of food drifted over to him. It made his stomach growl with hunger. Funny. That hadn't happened in his dreams before. Then he either had to be alive, which was very unlikely, or...

He caught sight of a figure, sitting not far away from him next to the fire with her back leaned against the cave wall, seemingly asleep. As it was still a bit difficult to focus, it took him a moment to register what he saw. He gasped audibly. So she had been no dream.

"I must be dead. But this doesn't look like hell. Perhaps it's heaven?" he mused aloud without thinking.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but you're quite alive, as am I, at least last time I checked." she said opening her eyes with a slightly amused smile playing around her lips.

He stared at her in disbelieve. "But that's impossible!"

"Well, if you so strongly insist on being dead I'm sure we could find a way to change your current condition." She frowned. "Though when I think about it, I would be very displeased if all my efforts to keep you alive turned out to be a waste. Nope, I fear you will have to cope with living."

He could only continue gawking at her open-mouthed.

She chuckled, a warm rich sound. "I wouldn't keep my mouth open for that long if I were you, this is an enchanted forest after all and you never know what flies by."

That brought him out of his daze and he snapped his mouth shut, just to open it again shortly after to call uncertainly: "Lily?"

The woman nodded, eying him questioningly. "That's my name, and I'm really curious how you knew it." She leaned forward, which brought her face into the light of the fire and let him get a better look at her. Brilliant emerald eyes dominated a finely crafted face framed by long , dark red hair that was pulled back into a single braid. Some locks had escaped from it and fell loosely around her beautiful features. She looked exactly like an older version of the woman he had last seen alive 16 years ago. Heartbreakingly so, in fact. Then it hit him.

"You don't remember me?"

"Remember you?" She frowned again. "I'm pretty sure I've never met you before. But perhaps telling me your name would help?"

Wondering what he'd once again gotten himself into and still struggling with his emotions, he responded: "Severus. My name is Severus Snape."

She tilted her head to one side, as Lily always had when she had been doing some serious thinking. "Sorry, that rings no bell. Maybe I resemble someone you know?" Before he could answer she added: "Ah, but I neglect my duties. How are you feeling? Are you still in pain?"

Taken aback by the sudden change of subjects, he replied: "No, it is almost gone. I feel much better, thanks to you."

"That's good to hear." She rose gracefully and came over to him, kneeing beside him, and started examining his injured hand. Looking down on it, he noticed the flesh was no longer raw but nearly healed. "Could you please try to move the fingers -carefully?" she asked. He nodded and slowly flexed his fingers, and was relieved to feel nothing more than a slight strain where the new skin had yet to stretch. Lifting his eyes he saw her smiling, obviously satisfied with her handiwork. "Everything heals quite nicely, though we better give it another bit of assistance. I'll help you sit and then get you something to drink. You're more than a bit dehydrated."

Ignoring his feeble attempts at doing so alone, she helped him into a sitting position. He found himself weak as a newborn kitten and he hated it. The wave of dizziness that washed over him due to the long lying definitely didn't make it better. With anyone else than Lily it would've felt nearly unbearable. This way, it was only humiliating. He sighed angrily and watched Lily walk to the fire, where she poured something from a small cauldron into a cup. After she had filled a second cup from a pot that stood on one of the stones which formed the boundary of the fireplace, she returned to him. 

Handing the first one to him, she said: "It may taste a little peculiar since I had to improvise to make it stronger, but it should be worth the unpleasantness. There's tea in the other cup to wash it down."

Holding back the question as to what 'it' was, he took the cup and inhaled the scent of the mixture, before he sipped at it. Trying to identify the ingredients, he kept it in his mouth for a moment before he swallowed. It didn't even taste bad, just peculiar, as she had told him. The effect was almost instantly. The last remainders of the pain in his body vanished and left new energy behind. He looked at her.

"That's a healing draught, but none of those I know of."

"As I just said, it's improvised and I also made a few alterations I found practical. Does it help?"

"It does. I feel better with every passing moment."

She cut in before he could ask her anything farther about the potion. "That's good, for unfortunately I don't know how much longer we're safe here. The sooner we get ready to leave, the better our chances may be to survive."

  
  


***************

A/N: No cliffie this time. Ah well, there's always a next chapter... *grin*  
Who is the strange woman that saved Severus' life? Why did she help him? Where is he anyway? More soon...

  
  


Greetings,  
Scheckie

  
  



	7. I can't tell you much

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 06: I can't tell you much.

  
  


"Ria and the others are doing their best, but we may have to leave soon." Raising an eyebrow at him, she continued: "It seems you are highly sought after."

"Indeed?" he replied neutrally. "What makes you think that? And who is Ria?" Letting his gaze drift around the cave, he added: "Where are we anyway?"

Looking at him with a measuring expression, she asked back: "How much of the recent events do you remember?"

A bit hurt by her hesitation to trust him, he reminded himself that apparently she was not Lily and he seemed to be a stranger to her. And that it was a wise thing to be careful whom to trust, as he had proved so badly on that fateful evening. Sighing silently, he closed his eyes and examined his memories of the last few days.

"I remember stumbling through the wood... coming to the brook... then the werewolf attack... and.. you. After that only darkness and weird dreams."

Opening his eyes again, he watched her intently. His gaze was almost immediately locked by her intense green one.

"And why were you 'stumbling through the wood' in the first place? The DarkWood is not exactly a forest for a little afternoon stroll, you know?" she inquired further.

Severus tried to look away but found he couldn't. He had dreaded this question. Bad enough he would now have to tell Albus what had happened, but explaining all this to her implied admitting he had failed them once again. After briefly contemplating lying to her -as the spy in him told him to- he decided against it. Whoever she was, she had saved his life and just being in his presence could endanger hers. He would have to tell her something.   
'But perhaps I can find a way to keep her out of this.'

"I can't tell you much. The more you know, the greater the danger for your life will be. It's already bad enough with you staying here in the same place as me. I don't want you to get hurt."

Her eyes darkened, bright emerald becoming deep forest green, and started glittering dangerously. 

"And why ", she asked softly, but with steel in her voice, "should I believe you? Why should I believe a Death Eater who turns up half-dead in the DarkWood in the middle of the night?"

'Damn, she knows! She must have seen the Dark Mark!' He tried to keep his face indifferent and the stab of pain he felt at her words out of his voice.

"Why did you save me if you believe I'm just an evil servant of the Dark Lord?"

"Are you?" So tense.

"What?"

"Are you one of his followers?"

Hope woke in him, but he dared not show it. "You saw the Mark."

"Blast the Mark. I also saw half a dozen white-masked Blackrobes, entering a place few dared to tread upon for the past fifty years, looking for someone they call 'the Traitor'." She paused and her eyes softened a bit. 

"Who are you, Severus Snape? Why have you come here of all places? Why does Voldemort want to see you dead?"

Severus freed his gaze from hers and snorted as he looked down on the cup in his hands. 'So much for trying to keep her out of this. Whom did I think I could fool?' he thought in resignation.

"He doesn't, that's part of my problem. He wants to use my hair for Polyjuice Potion, so that he can get into the inner circle of his enemies unnoticed. I was once a Death Eater, but I became a spy for the light side later on. He knew it when he returned and played with me for a while."

At that point he lifted his eyes to hers. "He gave me the choice: Serving him willingly or being forced to. Either way I would have lost."  
Dropping his gaze again, he continued: "I came here because I hoped the creatures of the forest would kill me before the Death Eaters caught me."

He noticed her irises were returning to their dazzling emerald, starting to twinkle softly somewhere in the depths. "Well, they very nearly did."

"You still haven't answered any of my questions yet." he remarked, feeling more than a bit uneasy about what he had just told her.

"True. I had to make sure which side you are on before." She smiled at him benignly. 

"Now, I already told you about the Blackrobes that are looking for you. To your second question, Ria is a good friend of mine. She's one of those who made it their duty to keep strangers from roaming the wood. In fact, you just met her three days ago. She's the werewolf that attacked you, thinking you were a Death Eater. I came just in time to prevent her from ripping your throat out."

Severus' eyes widened. "She's the werewolf? You are friends with a werewolf? And you stopped her from killing me? How can you? She could have killed you, too, without a second thought!" He shook his head in horror. 

"Ria would never hurt me. We developed a potion that allows her to keep her human mind during the transformation." The green was darkening a shade again.

"You did? Really? But..."

Before he could say anything further, Lily leaped up in one fluid motion. Fire flashed on steel, as she whirled towards the entrance of the cave, bringing down a sword on a figure that had definitely not been there a moment ago.

  
  


***************

A/N: Sorry, but I just love those cliffies. I guess that's the little devil in me... But I am no complete sadist, so the next chapter is already online.  
Who is the stranger? Did the Death Eaters find them? And Lily is wielding a _sword_? Read on to find out...

  
  


Thanks to all reviewers. *happy smile*

I fear I can't tell you more about Lily right now. It would spill the whole excitement. But you'll learn some of her secrets later in the story.

To **The** **Elfin Child**: Hope you enjoy Canada! 

To **LyssaQuill**: Thanks for your mail! I really liked it.

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  


  
  



	8. This gets weirder with every passing mom...

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 07: This gets weirder with every passing moment!

  
  


Severus blinked, and it took him a moment to process the scene before him.

Lily stood facing him behind a tall, hooded stranger, the blade of her sword pressed against the figure's neck.

"A bit jumpy today, aren't we?" came the dry voice of a woman, speaking with a slight French accent. Lily relaxed immediately.

"Merlin's beard, Claire! One of these days I will be too tired to stop myself in time and you will find yourself decapitated! And tell you what? It will serve you right, sneaking up at me like this!" Lily exclaimed angrily, putting the sword in the scabbard slung across her back.

The stranger, Claire, just shrugged and pulled back the hood of her heavy gray cloak. She had long, blond hair and ice-blue eyes, matched by very pale skin. 

Regarding Lily coolly, she merely said: "I highly doubt that. I have trained you too well for such a thing to happen."

Lily just swore colorfully.

Claire raised a pale-golden brow. "You must be tired indeed, if you fail so miserably in keeping a reign on that fiery temper of yours."

She shifted her gaze to Severus, who was still trying to put up with the sight of a person he had only ever seen act kindly and calmly, now exhibiting such a fierce behavior. "So you finally woke up. Surely took you long enough." Looking back to Lily, she continued: "Are you going to introduce us, once you get your vocabulary out of the gutter again, Lily?"

Lily glared at her, but she just smiled, showing pointed canines.

'A vampire!' Severus thought faintly. 'This gets weirder with every passing moment!'

Dropping the glare and sighing tiredly, Lily returned to her seat by the fire. "Claire, this is Severus Snape. Severus, this is Claire DeLaCroix, a _very_ old friend of my family. And yes, I know she's a vampire, and no, she won't drink your blood unless you invite her to. And I would appreciate it if you could stop gawking at me. I hate being stared at."

Realizing he had done just that, he quickly looked away to Claire, who stood near the entrance, still smiling her amused little smile. 

Inclining her head, she said: "Didn't think I would talk civilly to a Death Eater ever again, but then, you never know." 

She shrugged, turning back to her friend. "So you found him worthy of our help?" It was more a statement than a question.

Somewhat surprised, Severus turned to look at Lily as well. Their eyes locked one more time, hers seeming to look directly into his very soul, as if still searching for something. Apparently finding it, she nodded. 

"Yes, I do."

Seemingly satisfied, Claire moved forwards and came to stand by the fire, facing both of them. With a glance at Severus' puzzled expression, she commented: "You better stop wondering, boy, and start to gather your senses. You are going to need them dearly, if you want to get back to that school of yours in one piece."

'What the...' "How do you know?"

She sat down gracefully and just said mysteriously: "I am old. I know many things."

Lily rolled her eyes at that. Ignoring the redhead and making herself more comfortable, Claire continued.

"Lily can fill you in on some of the details later. We don't have the time for idle talk. Since the search for you only brought about the death of four of your former colleagues, the rest of them has called for the Soulsuckers to take over their task."

Severus breathed in sharply, but Lily just nodded. 

"I was wondering how long it would take them to figure out that the Dementors are one of the few species we cannot prevent from traveling the forest unharmed."

Claire shrugged again. "It is difficult to control them. Voldemort must want his prey alive, otherwise he would not have risked the loss of his followers."

She flashed a grin at Severus. "You must have greatly annoyed him. I haven't seen him making such an effort for quite a long time. However, with the prospect of the Soulsuckers coming here, we have eight, perhaps ten hours left to get you ready to leave. It is our luck that no one can apparate in the wood, or we wouldn't have that much time. You will both eat now, and then go get some sleep. I will prepare everything for your departure and watch over you."

To Lily she added: "I already sent your watchdogs over to catch some sleep as well. Now no further discussion. Time is precious."

With that said, she took two bowls from a bag next to her, filled them with the stew Severus had smelled before and handed one to each of them, along with a spoon. She also refilled his cup with tea. They ate in companionable silence, which was fine by him, as he was still occupied with all he had learned so far.  
The food was good, and eased away the last bits of his dizziness. On the other hand it made him feel quite sleepy. Looking over to where Lily sat, he saw she had already fallen asleep over her half-finished bowl. 

Chuckling, Claire took it gently from her limp hands, laid her down and covered her with a blanket.

"She couldn't get a proper night's rest since she found you." she told him in a low voice. Before he could say something, she continued. "You better get finished, too. You are going to need the rest. It is a long ride to Hogwarts."

He nodded, too tired to question any further, emptied both his cup and his bowl, and handed them to the vampire before lying down as well. Though he was still quite uncomfortable about sleeping in Claire's presence, Lily trusted her, and what did he have to lose anyway?

  
Wondering what tomorrow would bring, he drifted off into sleep.

  
  


***************

A/N: Now I'm done with my hand-written chapters, so updating will probably take me longer. Staring at my computer's screen unfortunately seems to put a damper on my creativity. But I'll manage. *smile*

What _will_ tomorrow bring for Severus? How will he get back to Hogwarts? Will he get there at all?

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie  


  
  



	9. Author's Note

  
  


Author's Note:

  
  


  
  


Yesterday morning, the war against the Iraq has begun.

My first reaction was to stop updating altogether until the end of the war.

  
  


I deeply regret that civilized nations do not seem to esteem it necessary to utilize every last possibility of solving conflicts in peace.

Living in a country that has already experienced what happens when a fanatical leader tries to force his idea of a 'better world' upon others, 

I fear for the future of us all.

  
  


I don't want me or my children to see a Third World War.

But as the past weeks have shown, there is nothing common people could do to prevent one, for those who own the power just do as they please.

We can only hope that the fights will stay limited to the Iraqi region.

  
  


After rethinking it, I decided to continue my stories. 

The people of the HP-Universe would not want despair and darkness to take over.

As Harry Potter put it in GoF, especially in dark times to come, we can all use a good laugh.

  
  


I just hope I could impress the seriousness of the present events upon some people's minds with this note....

I couldn't help but write it, because the whole affair really worries me greatly.

  
  


Greetings,  
Scheckie

  
  


  
  



	10. Now get the hell out of here

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 08: Now get the hell out of here.

  
  


A gentle hand on his shoulder woke him from deep slumber. Opening his eyes sleepily, he saw a predatory smiling vampire glancing down at him. He jerked into a sitting position instantly, wide awake, before the events of the previous night dawned on him.

"Morning, boy."Claire smirked at him. "Lily wanted to wake you up herself, but I told her I could do so faster. Looks like I was right." She put a pile of clothes next to him. "You better change into these. Your own are not only badly suited to the environment, but also dirty and smelly. In the cauldron is some warm water and here is soap, so you can wash before you put them on. Breakfast is on the stone beside the fire, tea in the pot. Waste no time. You have to be gone soon." she said and left him alone in the cave.

Snarling, Severus started to do as she had told him. Merlin, that woman treated him like a child, and he actually let her get away with it. The past few days really seemed to have taken their toll on him. Though he had to admit he felt considerably better after washing, he surely wouldn't let her know that.   
A bit curious he took a closer look on the pile of clothes. There was winter-underwear, a shirt, a sweater, trousers, stockings, a pair of boots and a heavy cloak. Everything was gray in color, soft and warm. Severus put them all on quickly. Surprisingly, they fit him quite well. 

'Must have some charms on them.' he assumed and made a mental note to ask Lily about it later. Seating himself next to the fireplace, he found some bread, cheese and dried fruits, and began to eat. When he was about half-way through his meal, Claire returned, nodded at him in consent, extinguished the fire, and set to packing the rest of their gear. They finished almost simultaneously, and she put his cup back into the bag after cleaning it.

Handing him the bag, she asked: "Are you ready to go, boy?"

"What happens if I say 'no'?" he retorted grumpily.

She regarded him coolly, her blue eyes glittering like ice. "You don't want to know, boy. Not really. Follow me."

And without waiting for him to rise, she lead him out of the cave.

Once outside, he saw day had already broken. Although the sun was shining, the air was still chilly and cut into his lungs. It took him several moments to adjust to the unaccustomed light, so he didn't realize what he was looking at until after Claire was gone and Lily came over to him.

"Good morning, Severus." Her face was slightly flushed from the cold and her eyes twinkling brightly as she smiled at him. But her friendly greeting was completely wasted on him, as he could just stand there and stare in astonishment at the...

"Horses?" he managed to ask finally.

"Forest-bred, " she confirmed, "smart as a cat, loyal as a dog, tough, sure-footed and enduring. When the weather stays like this, they can get us to Hogwarts in approximately three days. They have their way with distances, you know?"

"You're joking, aren't you?" Severus demanded faintly.

"Why should I? How did you think we would get to Hogwarts? By foot?" she replied genially.

"Well, I thought we could use brooms..." he said, still eying the two beasts disbelievingly. 

Lily shook her head. "Even if I was a witch and actually had a broom, flying in the DarkWood would be far too dangerous. The trees don't like humans carrying cut wood with them, even if it is enchanted, and there are more than enough hungry creatures on their branches that wouldn't mind a little snack.   
Goa and Saga spent their life here and are well acquainted with the forest and its dangers. They saved my life more than once."

That struck him. "Pardon me? Did you just say you are not a witch?" Severus requested utterly perplexed.

She looked him square in the eye, her gaze dark emerald in the sunlight. "You're an attentive listener."

"But the potions...! And the charms on the clothes...!" he exclaimed.

"The latter are not my performance, and as to the former... I'm nearly a squib, but I have a little talent which happens to suffice for potion-brewing. So I mostly rely on that and it works out just fine." 

"So you were at Hogwarts? When did you go there?" he inquired further.

"I haven't been there at all. I told you I'm not a witch." Lily answered, eyes darkening to moss-green.

"And who taught you potions?"

"There are witches and wizards in my family. I learned from them what they knew." 

"Indeed? And which family would that be? You haven't told me your last name yet. Perhaps I know some of them."

Her now dark eyes glittered warningly. "You don't. And I can't tell you."

Suspicion rose inside him. "Can't or won't?"

"Leave it. Please." was all she said.

Not at all satisfied with her response, he nevertheless decided to leave it at that for the moment. Pressing her would do no good, and he needed her help to get back to Albus. If he didn't learn more about this mysterious woman during their journey, the old wizard surely would, once they were at Hogwarts.

Taking the bag from him gently, she went to the mares and fastened it to the saddle of one of them. They were quite a sight. Standing about five feet tall, they had a long, thick coat of fur, and full, unruly manes and tails. One was of the same silver-gray as the clothes he now noticed Lily was wearing as well, with a white mane and tail. The other was so dark a chestnut she seemed to be almost black, with some red highlights. Both were watching him calmly with astonishingly intelligent eyes.

Lily patted the gray affectionately. "This is Saga, and the dark one is Goa. Ladies, this is Severus Snape. We are going to accompany him to the castle of Hogwarts and make sure he arrives there safely. Come over here, Severus, and let them get to know you. Your life may depend on their trust in you."

Obediently, he went to them and let them sniff at him. The gray, Saga, seemed amiable enough, but Goa just snorted and bared her teeth at him.

"Mind your manners, Forest-Lady!" Lily scolded her. "I told you he's not a Death Eater anymore." 

The mare seemed to consider her words, and approached him again. This time she only took his scent in and shook her mane. Saga shoved her gently away. Positioning herself directly in front of him, she nuzzled his hand softly.

Lily chuckled, the twinkle returning to her once more brilliant green eyes. "Seems they just decided who's going to carry whom. Do you have any riding experience?"

Now it was Severus' turn to snort. "Not on a horse."

"Well, then just try to stay on her back. Don't cling to the reins, there's a strap on the saddle to hold on to instead. And let her have her way. She'll know what to do." she told him. "I'll show you how to mount, and then we better get started. Time is running away."

She did as she had said and he found himself on the gray mare's back some moments later. Handing him a woolen scarf and a pair of gloves, she turned to Goa just in time to see Claire appear between the trees. A big, uncomfortably familiar wolf was with her and two little fireballs seemed to follow them in a constant distance.

"Ah, Claire, there you are. And Ria! It's good to see you are well." Lily greeted her friends.

The black wolf dog-grinned up at her, and Severus noticed she was wearing a collar with a pearly glowing gemstone on it. That had to be the reason she was still in her wolf-form although it was bright day, as well as several days after the full moon. 

'Very interesting!' Perhaps I can coax Lily into telling me more about it. Lupin certainly would like to know.'

"You better hurry. The Soulsuckers can't be more than two hours away. Ria found you two guides, I guess you have met them before." As Claire spoke, the two flying flames drew nearer and he could see they were in fact two tiny humanoids with a dragonfly's wings, each surrounded by an aura of fire. 

'Fire-Fays! But they're believed to be extinct...'

Lily smiled gladly. "Yes, we have worked together quite a few times. Hullo Glimmer, hi Ardent!" 

The Fays were zig-zagging around her excitedly, and she laughed. "Well, as we are now complete, I suggest we take our leave. You two will be careful?" she added to Claire and Ria.

Her friends snorted in unison. "Sure, Lily. Now get the hell out of here." Claire said, rolling her eyes at her.

Lily nodded and mounted the dark mare gracefully. "Goodbye, my friends."

"See you, Lily. Good luck, boy."

And with that, the mares set into motion, and Lily and Severus started their trek through the DarkWood.

  
  


***************

A/N: Wow, that was a long one and I'm quite tired now. It's half past one in the morning... *yawns*

The Fire-Fays are inspired by Wolfgang Hohlbein's 'Feuerfliegen', though I think I altered them a bit. It's been quite a while since I read that book, so I don't remember too exactly.

Thanks to all reviewers, it's always nice to hear from you.

  
  


Who is Lily really? What difficulties will the two encounter on their ride? Will they finally get to Hogwarts?

We'll see...

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  


  
  



	11. What secret does she hide?

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 09: What secret does she hide?

  
  


Severus was brooding. 

As Lily had told him to keep silent until she said otherwise, it was the only thing he could do. 

He had long since gotten accustomed to the gray mare's gait. The first yards, when she had sped up from walk to trot, it had been hell. He was sure Lily could have heard his teeth rattle, so much had his mount shook him. But then the pace had somehow shifted to the smooth gait they had kept for hours now. It felt like gliding above the ground. Actually, it was a far more comfortable way of traveling than flying, for he had nothing to do but sit and relax. Saga was finding her path on her own, never straying more than two or three yards from her darker fellow. Every now and then, she seemed to take a larger step, and the forest blurred around them, leaving him feeling a bit light-headed. He couldn't ask Lily, but he guessed that was what she had meant by the mysterious remark about the horses having 'their way with distances'.

  
  


'Speaking of mysterious...'

  
  


He didn't know what to think of that woman. She had saved his life, treated his injuries, and was now helping him to get to Hogwarts safely despite the Dark Mark on his arm. She knew of the Dark Lord's rising and seemed to be informed about the rest of the Wizarding World as well, although she was no witch. She traveled the DarkWood on horseback and was friends with vampires, werewolves and Fire-Fays. She knew how to brew potions, even create new ones, and wielded a sword with the skill of many year's practice. 

  
  


And she looked so much like Lily Potter that it made his heart ache. He had thought the sunlight would show him differences that the fire and the darkness had concealed, but it didn't. She could still pass as Lily's twin sister any time. After all he knew, or rather didn't know about her, she could well be.

  
  


'Lily. Who is she? Why won't she tell me her last name? What secret does she hide?'

  
  


Uneasiness woke in him. She hadn't told him why she had rescued him yet. She would block all personal questions. Could she be in league with Voldemort?

  
  


The thought made him freeze inwardly. Lucius had found out about his affection for the lovely red-head shortly before they had decided to part ways and Lily had returned to that damned Potter. They had been friends back then, but by now, Lucius had grown more and more power-hungry. He could well have told the Dark Lord. They might have found a way to make someone look like his lost love, to lure him into a trap and get hold of him again.

  
  


Thinking of Lucius he couldn't help but notice the vampire had seemed vaguely familiar to him. Now he realized why. She definitely had a malfoyish look about her. The hair, the eyes, the skin, the shape of her face,... He knew some branches of the family descended from vampires, though he was not sure which. DeLaCroix... It was entirely possible.

  
  


He shook his head to get it clearer. Why would Voldemort send a Lily-double after him, when the Dementors were looking for him at the same time? Or was it all an act? A game for the Dark Lord's amusement? 

Going over the recent events in his mind once more, he became aware of what she had answered him when he had accused her of avoiding his questions.   
'I had to make sure which side you are on before.' 'Which side you are on.' Not 'that you are on the right side'. Had that been intentionally? Had she let something slip? He truly didn't know.

Unbidden, a memory of the way her green eyes darkened when she became angry came into his mind. She hadn't been really furious about anything in his presence yet, but from what he had seen so far, he assumed they would be black if she was. He had seen eyes like this before. When Lord Voldemort had still been Tom Riddle. So could it be him? Would he go so far? To what avail?

  
  


Then it struck him and he felt like a bucket of ice-water had been emptied over his head. He was doing just what Voldemort had asked him to. 

He was taking her to Hogwarts, to Albus Dumbledore!

Thinking she was a squib and therefore no threat to them. Anxious to learn her secrets. Yearning for the love he had never found again in his life.

'Is it possible? Or am I just paranoid? Oh Merlin, what shall I do?'

  
  


Lily chose just that particular moment to look back over her shoulder and smile at him reassuringly. He nodded at her and she turned again to watch the forest for any signs of danger. Their little guides had split up. While on was in the air, constantly checking their way for possible threats, the other had made itself comfortable in the dark mare's thick mane, thankfully not setting it on fire. Their flames would only be hot and able to lighten what they touched should the tiny creatures get wet. At least that was what Lily had told him.

  
  


Lily.

  
  


What should he do about her?

He certainly needed her to get out of this wood alive. And he had no proofs that she was on the dark side. Yet. So he best hid his suspicions from her. 

He would try to get some answers from her as soon as they got the opportunity to talk and otherwise keep her at a distance. No need to let himself get hurt like 16 years ago, when Lily Evans had left him to become Lily Potter. 

Not ever again.

  
  


*************

A/N: Sorry, not as long a chapter as I wanted to write. But I still lack some hours of sleep.

This may look like a filler, but I think it's important to know Severus' trains of thought in order to understand his behavior in the next chapters.

  
  


Will he find some answers then? Is Lily a servant of Voldemort? Or even the Dark Lord himself?

I will think about it... *grin*

  
  


Thanks for the reviews. 

I'll try and read&review some of your stories as soon as possible, but it's a bit difficult since I can either continue to write this story or read others with that crowded schedule of mine... . But I'll manage... somehow. *smile* 

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  


  
  



	12. We will talk about this later

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 10: We will talk about this later. 

  
  


Eventually, the mares slowed down and Severus was woken out of his dark thoughts. He had little idea about how much time had passed, but he assumed it was well past noon. They came to a halt on a bright clearing that was well enough to survey. Lily dismounted with ease and turned to him.

"We will take a short rest here, eat and drink something and use the chance to relieve ourselves. Wait, I'll help you down." she said in a low voice.

Snorting, he took his feet out of the stirrups and swung his right leg over his mount's back. Sliding from the saddle, he was surprised about how weak his legs suddenly felt when they touched the ground. Had Lily not supported him quickly, he would have fallen on his knees. 

Scowling, she reprimanded him softly: "I told you to wait! What you experience is a natural reaction of the muscles in your legs which are not used to the long riding. I know this was a damper to your pride, but believe me when I say that I take no pleasure whatsoever in the weakness of others, including you, and will therefore grant you no more help than is absolutely necessary. But consequently I expect you to accept what I offer. Did I make myself clear?"

He glared back at her. "Clear? Are you sure you want to make yourself _clear_? Until now you _clearly_ preferred to remain enigmatic and mysterious." Severus snarled. He saw an emotion cross her eyes briefly, was it regret? He couldn't be certain, for it was gone before he could take a second look.

"It seems we have to talk about a few things." she replied quietly. "But not here and not now. This is not a safe place. So please refrain from rising your voice again or otherwise making noise. Some of the creatures that hunt by day have a very good hearing and I don't particularly fancy serving some beast for lunch."

He looked away from her and let his eyes come to rest on the gray's mane, angry at himself about his incapacity to keep his emotions properly locked up inside himself when dealing with her. 'Damn, that woman always seems to be able to get under my skin. I really have to do something about that.' he thought irritated. But the nearness of her slender body reminded him painfully of things he had denied himself for a very long time. He _was_ a man after all. 

Having apparently felt him tense, she gently let go of him, but stayed near enough to interfere again, should he stumble. When she saw he was steady on his feet, she nodded, walked back to her dark mare and took two bottles, as well as some bread and cheese out of one of the saddle-bags. From another one she got some grain for their mounts. They ate in silence, standing between the two mares who watched the surrounding forest alertly. The fays were checking the area farther. 

When they had finished their meal, Lily told him to walk around for a bit to ease his muscles, before she asked Ardent to accompany him behind some bushes but to stay in earshot. Biting back a sharp retort, he reminded himself of what she had told him mere minutes ago, and didn't protest against being baby-sitted.

The tiny humanoid whizzed observantly around Severus as he walked into the undergrowth. He scowled at it, when he stopped. 

"Have you ever heard of the word 'private'? Go watch some trees." he growled.

~ Can't.~ said a small voice in his head.

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Was that you? Can you talk telepathically?"

~ Was me. Can talk. Not listen, you.~ the Fire-Fay said, 'speaking' very quickly.

He narrowed his eyes even more. "Can you read thoughts as well? Did you eavesdrop on me earlier?" his gaze started to glitter dangerously, while his heart began pounding hard against his chest. Just how much did the little flame-ball know?

~Could. But don't. Private.~ Ardent stopped his flight, hovering in the air in front of Severus' face like a dragonfly. ~ You angry. Why?~

"That's none of your business. Now get lost." Severus snapped at his small companion.

~ Won't. Have to guard.~ the fay replied stubbornly.

"Fine, then do so from a distance. I will not tolerate your presence while I'm doing this." he hissed.

~ Why? Am male, too.~ Ardent asked uncomprehendingly.

"Just. Go. Away." Severus pressed through gritted teeth.

The Fire-Fay turned his back on him. ~Stay. ~ he insisted. ~But won't look. Promise.~ 

Sighing angrily in frustration and earnestly thinking about just smashing the creature into the next tree, Severus turned around as well, and started to empty his bladder. 'How humiliating.' he thought slightly embarrassed. He was finished and about to turn back to the annoying fay when it burst into a roaring flame all at once. He jumped back to get away from the heat and avoid getting burnt. A moment later, all was back to normal again.

"What do you think you were doing? You could have roasted me!" he barked exasperatedly.

Ardent looked at him apologetically. ~Sorry. Got wet. Snow fell down.~

"Fine guardian you make, you clumsy little flame-ball." Severus sneered. "You very nearly set me on fire."

The tiny winged humanoid buzzed angrily towards him, but froze suddenly. ~Don't move!~ he whispered, minute eyes wide with fear.

Old reflexes promptly made him do just the opposite, and he whirled around to face a large white lizard. Silver eyes regarded him with the gaze of a raptor. The lizard itself strongly resembled what Muggles called dinosaurs. Walking upright on two strong hind-legs it balanced its body with its tail, its short fore-legs equipped with razor-sharp claws. Head tilted to one side, its nostrils flared when it took in their scent.

Severus hand flew to the sleeve of his cloak, only to remember that he had no wand anymore. The lizard jerked its head in his direction, and locked his gaze. It made him go cold inside, as if his mind was frozen. The next thing he realized was that the raptor was mere two yards away from him and prepared to strike. 

But before it could do anything, a dull thud was heard and the white lizard fell limply to the ground, where it quickly changed color to a sparkling, light-reflecting silver.

Lily stood over it, the sword in her hand, but not bloodied. She bend down and checked the creature briefly, before coming over to them.

"Are you two alright?" she asked with concern in her dark-green eyes.

Severus let out a shaky breath. "I think so. What was that thing?"

She glared at him with glittering eyes that rapidly darkened further.

"I think you have said enough for now. We will talk about this later. I'm very disappointed with you , Ardent. You at least should have known better." she said in a low, but hard voice. "We have to get away from here quickly. Snow-Lizards are seldom alone in their territory. Hurry."

Head bowed in embarrassment, Ardent took the lead, while Severus trailed after him and Lily guarded their back. They walked swiftly to the horses and mounted. He was just seated in the saddle, when the gray resumed her previous gliding gait at a much faster pace. Lily's dark mare stayed behind them this time, and he had nothing to watch but the trees that were rushing by. A few times he thought he heard a noise behind them, but when he looked back, Lily was always there, the sword in her hand, and a grim expression on her face. 

In that way they rode until dusk set in.

  
  


***************

A/N: 

Sorry, I know this is very late, but I had very little time for writing during the week. I had to get up _very_ early, and came home late every night.   
But I love that internship!!! I'll try to get another chapter finished by Monday.

By the way, if anyone is interested in Saga and Goa, it is the Icelandic Horse that stood model for their race. Ten points to the one that knows what the 'gliding gait' I referred to is called...

  
  


So will Severus get his talk in the evening? What will he learn? Will Lily give him some answers?

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  



	13. What do you expect me to say?

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 11: What do you expect me to say?

  
  


After dusk set in, the Fays lead them to another little cave. Although it was well-hidden beneath a thick curtain of vines, Lily had had Glimmer check it before, to make sure no nasty surprises were waiting for them. They dismounted, Severus more careful this time, and pushed past the vines into the den. It was just large enough to provide shelter for them and their horses. Lily turned back towards the entrance and arranged the vines in a way that made it once more very difficult to imagine that there might be anything but solid rock behind them. Then she looked at him and addressed him for the first time since the incident.

"Since I don't assume you have much experience in looking after the mares, I suggest you try to create some kind of dinner out of our supplies. Is that alright with you?" she asked calmly.

"Sure," he replied curtly, and took the saddle-bags she gave him. Letting her gaze rest at his retreating back for a moment, she shook her head and sighed silently, before stripping her four-footed friends of their tack and giving each of them a good rub-down. Severus for his part inspected the contents of the bags closely, before he decided to go for another improvised stew. When their meal was almost ready, Lily was finished with the horses, who stood clean, dry, warm, and contentedly munching on some grain she had given them between them and the entry, while in the meantime he had also laid out the bedrolls and blankets, and heated some water for tea. No further word had been said while both had been occupied with their tasks. 

Taking a small bag filled with herbs out of their supplies, she poured some of its content into the boiling water and set it aside. Then she handed him the bowls and got them two spoons while he filled them. They continued their silence until after both of them had finished their meal and leaned back with a cup of tea. Once more, it was Lily who spoke first.

"You are angry with me because I didn't tell you more about myself, aren't you?" she asked softly. "And now you don't trust me anymore."

He tried to make his eyes and voice stay cold when he was in fact surprised she had approached the matter in such an honest and direct manner.

"Well, you have to admit the scarce amount of information you provided me with doesn't exactly serve to keep my trust in you. I am on the run after all."

"And I have saved your life. Twice," she countered.

He inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment, but remained distant. "A life that is quite precious to a certain Dark Lord."

She glanced at him from beneath long, fine lashes. A shudder ran through him. He knew that glance, though the time when Voldemort still had had lashes like that was long gone. 'Can it be him? Oh Merlin, I should have kept my mouth shut about that. But she seems to get through the wards I put around myself every time, no matter how carefully I prepare to keep her out. I believe I'm truly lost this time.'

"So you think I'm a minion of Voldemort." she stated quietly.

He swallowed nervously. "You still haven't told me why you have saved my life. -Twice," he added as an afterthought in mock imitation of her words.

When she lifted her eyes to meet his, he saw they were almost black. The cave's darkness bereft her hair of its livid color and left only ebony, streaked with red highlights set by the fire. He could see the resemblances clearly now, not only to Lily Potter, but to Tom Riddle. 

He just found it strange that not fear was the most pressing feeling on his mind, but how much his heart ached. 'I lost her again,' he couldn't help but think.

"Tell me, Severus," she demanded gently, in a soft voice so similar to that Voldemort had used in their last conversation that he involuntarily closed his eyes in mental pain at the memory, "what do you expect me to say? You seem to have made up your mind already. Could anything I tell you cease the suspicions you have? Would you even believe me if I tried to explain?"

"I... I don't know," he said hoarsely, opening his eyes again, "Why don't you try me?"

Her irises were truly, deeply black now. "Has the thought ever occurred to you that I have more to loose than you?" she whispered.

  
  


**********

A/N:

Now **that** would be a nice time for a really evil cliffy, what do you think?

*grins maliciously*

Oh well, I think Willow is right and there is some spark of a Gryffindor in my heart after all. *sighs dramatically*

So on with the story...

  
  


**********

  
  


Severus was slightly shocked. Whatever he had expected her to say, he certainly hadn't reckoned with something like that.

"What the hell are you taking about?" he asked rather harshly.

For a moment, her dark gaze was full of unmasked emotions. Uncertainty, regret, anger, longing, fear and something he couldn't quite place. Then it became guarded again.

"Didn't you think there might be more to your being the first stranger for the last fifty years that is allowed to leave this forest than just good luck?" she continued in her low voice. "Can you even imagine the danger I put nearly everything I hold dear into for you?" she paused. "I think not. And I don't blame you. But I risk my world for you, Severus. If Voldemort, or anybody else at that, ever learns anything of me or my family, or finds a reason to suspect the DarkWood might have other inhabitants than the dangerous creatures it is infamous for, all I live for will be destroyed."

"What world? What family? You're still talking in riddles."

She took a deep breath. "Please don't ask any further. I have already said more than I should. Just believe me when I tell you that I bear no sympathies at all for Voldemort, and that I mean no harm to you. I promised you to protect you and bring you back to Hogwarts safely, and I keep my promises."

He looked at her doubtingly. "Why should I believe you? How can I be certain that you pose no threat to Hogwarts?"

"Whether you believe me or not is something only you can decide. As for your school... I never intended to enter the grounds. We will accompany you to the border of the wards and only Saga and Ardent will come with you until they feel it is safe for you to cover the remaining distance on your own." she answered tiredly.

"Why?" he demanded softly. "Why are you doing all of this for me?"

For a split second, her black eyes seemed to become windows of her soul and he could see confusion there, hope, a deep pain that cut into his heart, and a fearful yearning that made him want to take her in his arms and hold her until it subsided. Then she blinked and looked down to the cup in her hand. When she met his gaze again, the moment was gone.

"Sometimes, I have presentiments. I know something's going to happen and I get a feeling what to do to make the best of it. Often I can help people that way and prevent worse outcomes. To do this for you... it feels just right." She smiled faintly at him. "I'm sorry, I' bad in explaining this. It sounds quite peculiar, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. It sounds like you're a witch," he said calmly, "with a sense for divination."

She grimaced at his comment. "Divination? Sorry, but I don't believe in tea leaves foretelling the future. And I already told you I'm not a witch."

"How do you know?" 

Sighing, she rolled her eyes at him. "First, Grandma would've told me. Second, my powers would've shown during my childhood. And third, I would have gotten a letter from Hogwarts, wouldn't I?" she counted on her fingers. "What's your problem, Severus? I don't mind being a squib."

He shook his head thoughtfully. "I still believe there is more to it than meets the eye."

She raised her left brow in an exact, yet unconscious imitation of Lily. "Now you're the one who talks enigmatically."

"Seems you rub off on me," he retorted, shrugging innocently.

"Maybe." She smiled, her first true smile of the evening.

Suddenly, both mares lifted their heads, and pricked their ears at the entrance. Lily tensed, but didn't reach for the sword. Then Goa snorted, and Saga shook her thick white mane, before both resumed their eating. The soft light that neared through the vines announced the Fays' return from their scouting flight.

"Ah, our wise guides are back. What's the situation outside like?" she asked their tiny companions.

~Quiet. Nothing unusual.~ Glimmer replied. 

Now that Severus knew what to listen for, he could understand them well enough.

~No Soul-Thieves.~ Ardent added.

Lily relaxed visibly. "That's good to hear. I feared the incident today could have set them right on our heels." She turned to Severus before he could voice the question that was on his mind. "You wanted to know what beast it was that tried to attack you today. We call it Snow-Lizard. It's a reptile that's remotely related to the basilisk. As you have experienced, its gaze can 'freeze' its prey until it is ready to strike. Originally, its scales are silver, but it's able to change the color to blend in with the background. I couldn't tell you before because they have an excellent hearing. That's both their power and their fault, for their eyesight is so bad that they only see movements. So they hunt by sound and to a lesser degree by smell. When one of them finds you, you just don't move and in most cases it gives up after a short time. The thing is, these lizards are prey to many of the more dangerous predators themselves and their presence in a territory is a sign nothing worse is there. That's why I chose that clearing for our rest."

"I understand. While we're at it, is there more I should know about the creatures in this forest?" he demanded.

She thought briefly about that, and then gave him instructions for the beasts they were most likely to come across and for the really dangerous ones. The Fays added their own advices, and between the three of them he felt reassuringly well informed about how to survive the next couple of days when they were finished. Glimmer and Ardent went outside again to guard the cave, and Lily and Severus cleaned up and prepared the fire for the night. The silence between them was friendly once more and the warmth of the fire eased their tension.

"Severus?" Lily asked while they were shedding their outer garments for the night.

"Yes?" he replied, half-turning to face her. As she was standing right beside him, he could see that her eyes were back to emerald again and regarded him with a soft expression.

"Our journey will get more dangerous from now on. Tomorrow we'll cross dragons' territory. I'm going to need your trust to bring us all out of there alive."

He looked into the green depths and answered softly: "You have it."

Her eyes lightened up at his words, and started to shine. Before he was able to identify the emotion in them, she had caught him in a brief embrace. Completely taken aback, he didn't even have the chance to tense, let alone return the embrace before she placed a tiny, featherlight kiss on his cheek and quickly pulled back again.

"Thank you," she said with a warm smile and vanished into her bedroll and under her blankets before he had the time to react. 

Staring after her, he raised a hand to his cheek in disbelief.

'Will she ever cease to surprise me?' he wondered. 'Do I even want her to?'

Shaking his head about himself and his whole situation, he crept under his blankets as well, and for the first time in many years, his dreams were neither occupied by the red eyes of the Dark Lord, nor the accusing green of Lily Potter, but by a pair of dark emerald ones that beamed warmly upon him.

  
  


***************

A/N: 

Sorry for the delay, I was ill. In fact, I still am, but I'm feeling already better. This is kind of a rough version of this chapter, but I thought you'd forgive me my mistakes in favor of getting the chappy one day earlier.

So what is Lily about? Will they get through the DarkWood in one piece? And what is Voldemort doing anyway?

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  



	14. Would you mind telling me about her?

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 12: Would you mind telling me about her?

  
  


The dawn of the next day found them already on the way, their mares' pace distinctly faster than before. The Fays lead them through clearing forest, upwards into the mountains. Sometimes, Lily would sign Severus to wait motionlessly and disappear for several minutes. He understood now why she had asked him to trust her the previous evening. Impatience or the wrong actions could turn out to be murderous in this dangerous territory. For there certainly were plenty of dragons around. 

Firstly, they only saw them from a distance, a group of Common Welsh Greens taking a sunbath on some of the higher rocks, their green scales gleaming in the bright light. Or later two young Norwegian Ridgebacks, playing in the snow on a plateau. But as they advanced deeper into the mountains, they came across some of the more aggressive breeds and had to pass much nearer to them. A family of Hebridean Blacks for example was dozing on a clearing and thankfully continued to do so until they were well out of sight again, though they sneaked past them in a distance of a mere 9 yards. 

Severus had never before seen so many kinds of dragons living in such a small area together without ripping each other into pieces. He had asked Lily about it in the morning and she had told him that it was due to the special character of the wood. The magical forest provided shelter for the dragons, but they were only allowed to stay if they followed a set of rules that applied to all of its inhabitants. So the dragons refrained from slaying each other on first sight and found it such a comfortable way of life that they taught their offspring to keep the peace of their own accord.

When they finally arrived at the pass that would lead them down towards the direction of the Forbidden Forest, they found it blocked by a very bad-tempered Peruvian Vipertooth that was obviously looking for a meal. Lily seemed to estimate their alternatives, and decided to send Glimmer and Ardent to distract the angry dragon. Seeing the diversion worked, they made a run for it as soon as the Vipertooth was preoccupied enough. Severus clung to the saddle as Saga went full speed, complete with the strange 'shifting' steps in between. A few moments later, they were already halfway down the mountain and the horses slowed down, panting. It was the first time he saw them breathing heavily and he realized the magically altered speed indeed took their toll on them. 

They didn't rest that day, but hurried to leave the dragons' dwelling behind them as soon as possible. All of them were exhausted when they made their way to another cave for the night. The mares followed them tiredly as they led them inside, and while Lily saw to their needs, Severus once again prepared their food and their camp. After the meal they sat next to the small fire, side by side, leaning back against the cave wall wearily. She nestled closely against him, for the air outside was very frosty and the cave was still quite cold despite the dancing flames. He was far too tired to mind, on the contrary, he found he rather enjoyed the additional warmth of her slender body next to his own. But he soon noticed she was trembling slightly, and remembered that she had worked hard for their well-being that day and therefore spent much more energy than he had. So he unfastened the clasp of his cloak and put it around them both, chiding her softly.

"You could just tell me that you 're cold. That way you wouldn't have to freeze until I can feel your shaking."

"I'm sorry," she replied a bit sheepishly, "I guess I'm not used to having someone around me out here, save for the mares and the Fays that is." 

Echoing his previous actions, she undid her own cloak and expanded it over him, too. Their combined body-heat warmed the heavy cloaks quickly, but she continued to shiver until he enfolded her into his arms and held her close to him. Sighing, she hesitatingly laid her head on his shoulder and put her arms around him as well. He could feel her soft locks tickling his chin.

"Thank you," she said in a low, warm voice, beginning to relax in his embrace.

"You're welcome," he answered in his deep, silky tones.

They remained silent for a while until she asked softly: "Would you mind telling me about her?"

"About whom?" he asked, though he already knew whom she meant.

"About the woman you thought I am. Her name is Lily, too?"

"Yes, it is. Or rather was. She died fifteen years ago. I first met her when she was still called Lily Evans, and saw her alive for the last time after she had become Lily Potter. That was nearly one year before she was killed." He struggled to keep his voice neutral, but telling her somehow seemed to bring everything fresh into his mind again.

Her hand found his under the cloaks and squeezed it in sympathy. "I'm sorry. Even more so for having to tell you I never bore either last name. Was she your wife?"

He laughed bitterly. "No, she wasn't. The two of us never had the chance of a future together. Not really."

"Would you tell me about it?" she repeated her question very gently.

Severus took a deep breath. 'Why not? I suppose it won't hurt,' he thought to himself. And somehow he wanted her to understand. To know how his past had made him into the man he was now. To see him for the person he was. So he started to tell her the tale of his life, something he hadn't shared with anyone so far. Even Albus had never heard the whole story from him, simply because the old wizard had already known many things and didn't need to be told. He briefly wondered whether his opening up to her would turn out to hurt him as badly as it had the last time he had trusted another person, but then, what did he have to loose anyway? 'Not much, now that I can't spy on Voldemort anymore.' He sighed silently.

"For you to understand what happened, I may have to elaborate a bit at first. The Snapes are among some of the oldest wizarding families and only mixed their line with those of the purest blood at all times. My ancestors were also deeply engaged in the Dark Arts. It was kind of a tradition. So my father Maximilian Snape was very strict with us children and began to teach us quite early the things he valued important. At the time I went to Hogwarts for my first year, I already knew more curses than half of the seventh years. Fortunately, the Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin, I don't know what Maximilian would have done to me had it been different. Do you know about the Houses in Hogwarts?"

She nodded. "Enough to understand what your being sorted into Slytherin means."

"Well, life in Slytherin House is not easy. Friendship is ruled by politics and alliances of power. All of us had the expectations of their parents to fulfill and facades to keep up. In my case it meant to stand back behind my older brother and support whatever he did. And of course, never let myself sink so low as to become friends with members of the other Houses, especially no Gryffindors." He paused.

"Life in Slytherin House was lonely. Dominick was everything I couldn't be. I didn't mind, on the contrary, I admired him, but people who tried to get at him through me soon made me very cautious and secluded. In the beginning, I thought no one cared. I still had Dominick anyway. But when I finished my third year, he graduated and I was left, and a group of Gryffindors from my year started harassing me. To escape their increasingly cheap pranks, I joined a group of Slytherins whose members nearly all turned to the Dark Lord later on. 

My brother kept in touch with me throughout the year, so I had at least one person I could tell about my problems. Until one day in spring changed everything. Dominick came to visit me while the others were in Hogsmeade. He told me he had joined the Death Eaters after his graduation on Maximilian's insistence and about some of the things he had been forced to witness and ordered to do for the Dark Lord. It made him sick, he said. He wanted to get out of it, but we both knew Maximilian would kill him as soon as he learned of what he would surely consider betrayal. Nevertheless, my brother absolutely refused to take part in what he called the 'frantic avenging campaign of a madman'. He had decided to flee and hide to escape Maximilian's wrath and had come to say goodbye to me. We spent the day together and with his departure in the evening, I was left completely alone for the first time." Severus shuddered slightly before he continued.

"Life was never the same again after that. Maximilian became even harder and bitterer and did everything he esteemed necessary to make sure his younger son wouldn't stray from the path he had set for him. So when I returned to school, I had become even more withdrawn and distant. And one red-haired Gryffindor girl of my year decided I needed someone to talk to. Because Lily was a close friend of the prankster group, I thought it was just another joke at first . But she was very persistent. She wouldn't leave me to my solitude, but decided to become my friend. I surely didn't make things easy for her, but at some point I couldn't resist her anymore. I told Maximilian that I wanted to gain her trust in order to spy on her fellow Gryffindors and he didn't object. 

Lily and I got to know each other fairly well, much to the chagrin of her Gryffindor friends. To compensate for her kindness, their pranks got even meaner. The whole affair escalated when one of them, a boy named Sirius Black, pulled a 'joke' on me in our fifth year that almost got me killed. 

On the other side, the incident made Lily and me realize our relationship went deeper than just friendship. Faced with the threat of loosing the other, we saw we had somehow fallen in love. And that was when things got complicated." He sighed.

"We managed to keep our love secret from everyone, but at the end of sixth year Maximilian ordered me to join the Death Eaters. Because I was still at Hogwarts and recruits usually didn't join until after graduation, I didn't have to take the Dark Mark before I had finished school. Nevertheless, the following time was hard for us.

And then, halfway through seventh year, I was called to watch the execution of a traitor. It was Dominick. I will never forget that night, especially not the look in his eyes when Maximilian forced me to kill him. I still dream of it sometimes. That was when I truly started to hate the man that called himself my father. But I couldn't turn against him, as he still had my mother and my younger sister to ensure my obedience." Severus closed his eyes in emotional pain and Lily hugged him gently and continued to hold him close.

"All I knew was that I had to keep Lily out of it, for he would certainly have hurt her, had he known of us. So I went to her the very next morning and set her free. I told her to find someone who could give her what I could not, that she deserved better than living a life of secrecy, uncertainty, fear and constant hiding at my side. Naturally, she refused to leave me, so I ... made her." 

Drawing a shuddering breath, he added: "It was the hardest thing in my life. But more than anything else I wanted her to be happy. So I let her go. 

I avoided her the remaining weeks at school and I didn't see her for several years after our graduation. I took the Dark Mark and worked for Voldemort until about two years later Maximilian was killed by Aurors who acted on informations I had passed to them. With my family save, I secretly returned to the light side to spy for them on the Dark Lord. I only saw Lily two times after that, the last time being sixteen years ago, when she had already married one of her fellow Gryffindors and had just given birth to his child. 

Some months later I learned that Voldemort was trying to find and kill every person who was in any way related to him. With Potter's mother being Tom Riddle's sister, he and his son were in grave danger. Though I strongly detested the Gryffindor, I warned them as soon as I could and they went into hiding. But the Dark Lord had his ways to find out about them, so they relied on their only chance to survive, the Fidelius Charm. 

Unfortunately, their secret-keeper turned out to be a traitor and betrayed their location to Voldemort. He went there himself to kill Potter and the infant while I was out on a mission. When I got word of it, I hurried after him, but Lily was already dead upon my arrival. The only thing left for me to do was casting an additional Avada Kedavra on the red-eyed bastard, along with the deadly spell Lily's sacrifice made bounce off her little son, back at its caster. The double-Unforgivable accomplished what one alone couldn't, and Voldemort's body was destroyed. 

But Lily was dead, and all I could think of was that she would still have been alive had she not protected her child. Potter's child. I would have come in time to save her, had she not already given her life for him."

Falling silent, Severus stared into the flames without blinking. He only realized tears were sliding down his face when gentle fingers brushed them from his cheeks, and turning his attention back to the woman beside him, he saw Lily glancing warmly up at him with tears in her eyes. 

"She would not have been the woman you loved, had she not been willing to die for the ones she loved without hesitation," she said very softly.

"I can imagine what you feel like. I ... once had a boyfriend. It was my first true love and we wanted to stay together until the end of time. We were already engaged when he decided to form another group of resistance against Voldemort. Although he was on the run from him because he had betrayed his 'beliefs', he still continued to partake in missions to weaken Voldemort and to support the Aurors. 

I finally had to learn there is no such thing as 'forever' when he was captured by a band of Death Eaters and tortured to death six months before our wedding. There was nothing I could do to help him. Every action on my side would have put my family and many others in terrible danger. So I had to let him die. But in doing what he felt he had to, he could always be his own, true self, the man I loved with all of my heart. Had I asked him to stop fighting against Voldemort, he would have lost a part of himself, a part he hold very dear, and he would never have been the same again.

Believe me, I know how you feel." Her green eyes were dark with pain and glittering with the tears that slowly started to fall.

The two cuddled closely together and cried silently for the loved ones they had lost. Both were fairly exhausted when they pulled themselves together again. Severus held Lily in a tender embrace, her head resting comfortably on his chest.

"Severus?" 

"Mhm?"

"I ... there's something I think I should tell you. I've been having a dream for many years now, the same scene every time. When I wake up, the only things I can remember are that it is about a woman with dark red hair, a man and a small boy with black hair; the fear, pain and regret I feel, a flash of green light and a high-pitched laughter. And a message from the woman: 'Watch over them for me.'

I always thought it was some kind of memory of my mother, but after all you just told me, I believe the dream has an entirely other meaning. I think it is a request from Lily Potter." She paused for a moment.

"But how am I meant to fulfill it? I can protect them when they enter the wood, but not outside of it."

He looked at her slightly surprised.

"Have you never left the DarkWood before?" he asked in disbelief.

"No, never. As dangerous a place as it is, for me and my family it most likely is the safest place we could find," she answered calmly.

"But haven't you ever been curious as to what lays beyond those trees you know?" Severus wanted to know.

"Sure. Sometimes so much so, that at night I dream I am a bird and that all I need to do is spread my wings and fly away to see the rest of the world. But in the morning I always wake up exhausted and still in my bed at home." Her voice had trailed off sleepily at the end of the sentence and he found it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open, too.

Looking down into her tired gaze, he said: "I think we should better get under our blankets now, before we fall asleep sitting here and leaning against the wall. That would certainly do for a sour back tomorrow."

She yawned. "You are right. But I don't like to leave this comfortable warmth for my cold bedroll. Not really."

"We could put the bedrolls side by side, continue to share the cloaks and put the blankets over them. -If you don't mind, that is," he added.

"Not at all. I would mind getting cold again and shivering all night instead of sleeping, though," she replied, smiling sleepily up at him.

"Then you had better stay here and keep the cloaks warm," he told her softly, stood, put her bedroll next to his and pulled the blankets back. Lily came over to him when he was finished and they laid down, covering the two of them first with the cloaks, then with the blankets.

Severus' last conscious thought before he drifted into sleep, comfortably warm and with one arm snaked around his red-haired companion, was how nice it felt to hold someone again after all these years of solitude.

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N:

Well, that certainly took me long enough. Sorry, one of the first things I learned in hospital was that doctors have very little free time indeed.  
Dear, I'm tired... *yawns*  
But I have just another two weeks to go until university lectures start again.

To all the reviewers who asked if Lily is Lily Potter: I thought the summary made it clear enough. She might look and even act like her, but Lily is a unique person of her own. Though Severus is absolutely right when he thinks there's more to her than meets the eye... *grins*

Can anyone imagine who Lily's fiancé might have been? *hint*

The name Dominick, by the way, means 'lord'. I thought it would contrast nicely with Severus meaning 'servant'. Maximilian is Latin for 'the greatest'. I guess he was a first-born son, too... 

Next chapter they will finally get to the border and arrive at Hogwarts. If they really make it, that is... ;-)

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  



	15. Nooo!

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 13: Nooo!

  
  


A/N: There are a few bad words in this chapter, as well as some violence. If you think you can't deal with it, don't read it. Thanks.

  
  


Although the night was short for them as they had to get up quite early, both of them felt better rested than they had for a long time. Relieved to find that what they had shared the previous evening did not result in awkwardness this morning, he prepared breakfast while she fed and groomed the mares.

"Today we will leave the DarkWood and enter the Forbidden Forest," Lily said to Severus when she came over to him. "I guess we'll arrive at the border around noon. It 's a ravine with a wild river on its bottom and the bridge we're going to use is the only way to cross it for a five-days-ride in either direction. We have to be very cautious there, because some of the smarter predators in the area are well aware of that fact and occasionally lie in wait for unsuspecting victims. But if my weather-sense is not mistaken there is a storm approaching, so most of them will resort to the wood for easier prey, and the only creatures we really have to worry about are the Harpies, for the bad weather will cover their stench and allow the ugly beasts to hunt."

"There are Harpies living that far north?" He frowned.

Shrugging, she helped herself to some bread and cheese. "When a creature is of a dangerous race, best just expect that it can be found here. That's safest."

"What the hell is the secret of this forest?" he exclaimed in frustration.

She reached for him and squeezed his arm comfortingly. "You know I can't tell you even though I'd like to."

"I know," he grumbled.

Sighing, Lily resumed their previous topic. "Be that as it may, today it is essential that we remain silent. Any spoken word might alert the Harpies. As will the smell of blood or any magic being cast, or, for that matter, steel shown openly. Consequently my sword is going to stay in its scabbard and you'd better refrain from using any magic except in utmost emergency.   
We will leave the mares with the Fays, the bridge is too narrow and fragile for them, and Glimmer and Ardent know a way to the other side that is better suited to them. I'd rather that we didn't split up, but the paths down to the river which they will take are too steep for them to carry a rider and we would just slow them down. So we will meet them later in the Forbidden Forest. If all goes well, you may be at Hogwarts in the evening."

"It's an odd feeling, to know our goal is almost in sight when I thought I'd never live long enough to come back," Severus wondered, shaking his head.

She smiled. "Your students will surely be glad to see you again."

He snorted, finishing his breakfast and rising to start packing. "I highly doubt that. I'm certainly not everybody's favorite teacher. On the contrary, the few that stayed over the Christmas Holidays will probably be fairly disappointed to find they will still have to put up with me as their greasy git of a Potions' Master."

She rose, too and after cleaning it, handed her cup to him, catching his hand with hers when he reached for it.

"Though I don't know enough for claiming to be able to judge this properly, I get the feeling that you tend to be a bit too hard on yourself," she said, looking into his onyx eyes questioningly.

They remained like that for a heartbeat, then she let go of his hand and the cup and walked towards the horses.

He just stared after her and after a moment, shook his head and continued to gather their gear while she tacked up the two mares and helped him with fastening the bags to the saddles. When she had given her last instructions to the Fays, the two of them mounted and took off for the hopefully last stage of their journey.

The later it got, the more obvious it became that Lily had been right with her prediction of the weather. Dark clouds amassed above their heads, and what started as a gentle breeze soon increased in strength to a strong wind. Saga and Goa simply lowered their heads and kept their steady pace, unimpressed by the squalls around them that tore at their riders' cloaks and made them shiver in the cold air.

Around noon, Lily and Severus abandoned their friends a short walk away from the bridge and watched them disappear into the wood, searching for the spot where the small path would lead the four of them down and to a shallow spot where they could cross the river. The two humans, however, set off for the suspension bridge that spanned the chasm separating the DarkWood from the Forbidden Forest.

Both of them were extra alert and stayed close together, though no danger could be seen nor heard. They double-checked the area before they dared to approach the bridge, still finding no threat was near. Lily had made a wooden staff out of a long bough she had found on the way and kept it ready the whole time. Arriving at the bridge, Severus saw it was solid enough to carry the two of them, but not anything as heavy as a horse. He kept watching their surroundings while she tested if the bridge was intact and the storm wouldn't hinder them too much. After her confirmation that everything was okay, they set to cross the ravine. The river rushed far beneath them and Severus had to fight the urge to look down for a moment, knowing that it would just serve to make him dizzy. The strong wind howled around them and shook the bridge thoroughly, as if trying to pull them into the depths. For a second, he thought he had heard the beating of wings and an insane cackle over the noise, but nothing happened and he blamed his over-active imagination. Then they had made it.

Since it had been well enough to look over, it was him that stepped onto the massive rock which formed this other side of the ravine first, with Lily covering his back. Again they checked the forest in front of them for possible perils, and, once more finding none, proceeded into the underwood. They had gotten no farther than perhaps half a furlong when Severus saw Lily tense and her eyes go dark out of the corner of his eyes. Then his field of vision was filled by the black-clad figures who were surrounding them all of a sudden and a Cruciatus hit him square in the back. The familiar pain was even more excruciating than usual which told him that the Unforgivable was being cast by more than one wizard simultaneously.

'Death Eaters!' 

Even before he had completed the thought, Lily had already reacted by knocking out the first of his former colleagues, and was now bringing the staff down on the second one. Still taken completely by surprise, the remaining Death Eaters didn't respond to her actions until after she had taken down the third of them, and disarmed two others by knocking the wands out of their hands, leaving them looking dumbfounded at her and clutching their broken wrists. But by then, some of them had recovered enough to fling the Expelliarmus Spell at her and deprived the red-haired woman of her wooden weapon. That was when Severus was released from the curse and found himself in a circle of wands pointed at him as well as put into a Body-Bind, while a second circle of the Dark Lord's followers closed around Lily, separating her from him effectively.

"Well, well, what have we found here?" Lucius Malfoy drawled in his all-too-familiar manner and came to stand facing both of them. "A traitor who is going to wish he was dead only too soon and a Mudblood who had better remained so."

"For someone who shows so much disdain for Mudbloods you spend a surprisingly great amount of time licking the boots of the son of one, Malfoy," Lily sneered, chin raised and eyes glittering defiantly.

"How dare you, you red-haired bitch," the blond Death Eater hissed, turning to her and entering the circle. Her insult had obviously hit home.

"Unlike you, Death Eater, I possess the courage to speak for myself, even if I don't have a bunch of toady fellows that intimidate my opponents for me," she challenged.

That made Malfoy temporarily forget what he had just seen about her fighting skills, and he moved into her reach, oblivious to the fact she still had her sword.

As a result, he found himself staring unbelievingly at the blade that cut slightly into the soft skin of his throat a mere moment later. 

His face distorted into a grimace of unmasked fury and he bit out the words through clenched teeth.

"Don't go too far! You seem to forget who is over there, encircled by my men. One word from me and he is dead."

She eyed him unimpressed. "I believe it's difficult to speak with a slit throat, isn't it? And wasn't there something about Voldemort wanting his 'traitor' alive?"

"You can't fool me, woman. I know all about your secret affair with the 'inaccessible, mysterious Slytherin' back at Hogwarts. And as for the Dark Lord's wishes, while he will certainly enjoy punishing Snape personally, it is no longer necessary to keep him undamaged. We have found a well-suited replacement for him in the meantime." Malfoy smirked. "Sending my son to that useless school seems to pay off eventually."

'Damn!' Severus felt his eyes widen. 'The red-eyed bastard is going to use Draco Malfoy's form to get into Hogwarts! While I am stuck in his dungeons! I have to find a way to warn Albus! But how?'

"Now take that sword off my throat and give it to me, before I tell my colleagues to kill your sweetheart," the Death Eater threatened.

Lily looked past the blond to Severus and seemed to hesitate a moment. Then she took the blade down and handed it to Malfoy without any further comment. Her opponent sneered and, after tucking it into his belt, turned back to her and hit her across the face, so hard it sent her stumbling into the wall of Death Eaters' bodies behind her. Those to her left and right grasped her arms and wrists and held her, while their leader smiled maliciously at the redhead, closing the space between them with several gracious strides. His fingers caught her chin in a rough grip and forced her to look him in the eyes.

"At first, I thought I would simply hand you to my men as a reward for their loyalty, but your little show here has succeeded in changing my mind. Now I think I will teach you a lesson you won't ever forget before. And then turn you over to them."

She spat him at the face.

"You dirty Gryffindor whore!" he roared and slapped her once more before he took a step back, and, wiping the saliva off his face, fumbled for the sword at his side. Turning back to her he raised the blade threateningly, but she just looked at him with a strange calmness, blood sliding down her cheek from a cut his heavy signet-ring had left.

Terror rose in Severus. 'Damn that woman! Is she out of her mind to provoke him like that?" 

Then he heard it. The same sounds he had thought to perceive over the howling of the wind before. The beating of many wings, screeching and cackling.

'The Harpies!'

Malfoy had heard it, too, for he looked up at the same instant a dark shadow dived towards him. The Harpy's claws raked over him as she pulled out of the dive, beat her wings to stay in the air and settled on a new victim. More of them followed the first, their muddy brown and gray plumage making them difficult to spot against the storm clouds, their woman-like heads screeching obscenities or laughing madly, all the while screaming 'Blood! We want blood!", "Make them bleed!" or "Rip them apart!". 

After the initial shock, the air was soon heavy with hexes, and the two circles scattered as the Death Eaters battled for their life. Lily, who had broken free and gotten her staff back during the first few moments, was now trying to fight her way through to Severus, who still lay in the Body-Bind, unable to escape any attacks directed at him. She was almost there, when a dark-gray Harpy dove down at the Potions' Master and snatched him by the legs.

"No!" she cried, hurrying after the dirty predator that took off in direction of the ravine.

Severus concentrated frantically on his animagus form, knowing the transformation would break the curse that kept him immobile. Dangling head-down from the claws of a stinking Harpy which shook him violently on her flight through a winter storm while her sharp talons were piercing his legs didn't exactly help, though.

"Severus!"

That was Lily's voice! She was still down there. Among all the Death Eaters. 

'I have to try harder! I must not fail her! Not again!'

He closed his eyes, shut the Harpy, the Death Eaters, the wood, the storm, the cold; shut all that out and channeled his whole being into the mental image of the black panther. 

The angry shriek of the Harpy told him all he needed to know, and opening his eyes again, he bent upwards and clawed at the creature. The ugly thing screamed, but didn't let go of him. Only after two more strikes did she let him fall. And only then did he look down, horror flooding him when he realized they had been directly over the ravine when the blasted beast had released him. Her insane laughter followed him on his plunge.

And another shout as well.

"NOOO!"

The rush of the air around him made her yell turn into a strange sound, and closing his eyes once more, he hoped he would reach the bottom soon, so that the shame and guilt he felt for failing her this last time would not pain him any longer.

But then the strange sound could be heard again, this time not far from him. It sounded like... 

... the cry of a phoenix!

Despite better knowledge, he opened his eyes once again and indeed saw the crimson and golden shape of a phoenix speeding towards him. Changing back to human, he felt hope rise inside. Perhaps this was not the end yet!

But he was still falling and the ground was drawing nearer at an alarming speed...

A moment later, the swan-sized bird was beside him and its golden tail-feathers in reach. Severus made a grab for them and felt the strange lightness spread through his body while the phoenix started to pull them into a dive. His feet did brush the surface of the river, but then their flight became stabilized and his savior started to rise again.

Relief started to make its way through the cloud of dizziness and exhaustion around his mind, but then a thought washed over him like a bucket of cold water.

'Lily! She is still up there!'

"Fawkes? Fawkes! Bring me back to the bridge! We have to save Lily!" he shouted to drown out the noise of the wind.

The phoenix showed no sign whatsoever that it had heard him and, much to Severus despair, continued its flight towards the Forbidden Forest, and thus, Hogwarts. He tried frantically to gain its attention by struggling and tugging at the strangely hot tail-feathers, but the magnificent bird just warbled and otherwise ignored his attempts.

"Please!" he demanded desperately, "Please take me back to her! I can't let her down! Not her! Not the only woman I've ever loved! Please!!!"

But the phoenix seemed deaf to his words and carried him steadily towards the school grounds, no matter how much he begged it to turn back. He thought briefly about just letting go of the bird to put an end to his misery, but then remembered that someone was still needed to tell Albus about Voldemort's plan. So he had no other choice but to cling to its tail. The sharp wind cut into his face like hundred tiny knifes and he realized he was crying. It didn't matter. Not anymore.

When the familiar castle appeared in sight, the phoenix started to sink lower, until it brought both of them down on a spot that lay a brief walk away from Hagrid's hut. Although it let Severus touch the ground gently and released him carefully, the Potions' Master's injured legs gave way beneath him and he fell. Hot pain throbbed through his entire body, part of it due to the Cruciatus, the aching gashes in his legs courtesy of the Harpy. He grimaced. Wounds caused by the ugly scavengers almost always became inflamed. A concerned chirp sounded beside him, but as he turned his head towards the sound, his vision started to become blurred and all he could see was a patch of crimson approaching him. The bird trilled once more, before it began to pipe an eerie song that seemed to enfold Severus in warmth somehow and eased his heart. With the forest around him sliding out of focus, he felt more than actually saw the phoenix lay its beautiful head on the injuries the Harpy's talons had left. A soothing liquid moistened the wounds, and slowly the pain started to subside. 

"Phoenix Tears," Severus murmured while the world returned around him.

The bird, never interrupting his weird song, settled itself on his knee and looked up at him. Black eyes gazed into ...green? 

Yes, the phoenix had indeed green eyes!

And then it struck him.

"Lily?" he whispered hoarsely.

The bird on his knee blinked and stopped singing. Confusion started to darken its eyes as it shifted its weight restlessly. 

"Lily?" he repeated, still unsure.

The phoenix fluffed its feathers in uneasiness, gave itself a shake and hopped from his leg, coming to stand about two yards from him. 

"Lily? Please come back. " 

His words made the bird quiver and chirp in distress. It shook its beautiful head as if in denial, taking some steps back.

"No! Don't leave me. I... I need you." he said, half rising, one hand extended in direction of the phoenix.

The bird spread its wings, and, closing its emerald eyes, cried out in anguish as it erupted into flames.

One moment later, the fire died down and left the figure of the familiar tall, slender woman with dark-red hair in its wake.

"Lily!" Severus exclaimed, hurrying to her side just in time to catch her when she swayed and fainted.

She looked like hell. Her clothes were torn, she had several gashes from her fight with the Harpies and she looked totally exhausted. In addition, her skin felt hot to the touch, as if she had a fever. He cradled her gently in his arms, lifted her carefully and set off for the school as fast as he could.

Once inside the castle, Severus aimed straight for the hospital wing, completely ignoring everything around him. He was grateful when he finally arrived at the Infirmary, for the whole carrying Lily there had consumed pretty much of his feeble power reserve and he was feeling quite dizzy again. 

Madam Pomfrey looked up as he entered the room, and stared at them in astonishment. But after an instant her training as a nurse kicked in and she directed him to an empty bed quickly. She was just starting to bustle over Lily when the Headmaster walked in, stopped short of Severus and hugged him cordially.

"My dear boy," he said in a warm voice," it's wonderful to see you are back and well! We were all so worried about you! I feared we had truly lost you this time." The older wizard released him just enough to be able to face him before he asked: "What happened?"

Severus blinked, feeling his surroundings cloud once again. He realized he didn't have much time left to tell Albus what he needed to know so he settled on that which was most important and tried to keep it as short as possible.

"Voldemort... He made me alter... the Polyjuice Potion... . It's harder to detect... and lasts longer... . He... wanted my hair... but I... could escape... . Now he... is going... to use... Draco... Malfoy... ," was all he managed to say before darkness eventually claimed him.

But it was enough.

  
  


°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°

A/N:

Wow, that was kind of difficult to write. I don't like composing dialogs at all. Lily and Severus always do what they want, and not what I intend them to do... *sighs* And then, when they once again rush things, it's me who has to find a plausible explanation for it... *pouts*

I refrained from rising the rating of this chapter, because I think it would be a pity if some of you couldn't read it just because of a few bad words which I assume are common knowledge in teenagers. However, if you feel I should still make it R, tell me in your reviews and I will do so.

Now, how will the people of Hogwarts react to Lily? And she to them? Does her ability to change into a phoenix mean she is a witch after all?

  
  


Happy Easter!

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  



	16. So this is Hogwarts?

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 14: So this is Hogwarts?

  
  


When Severus woke, it was in several stages. First, sensation returned to him. He was comfortably warm and lying in a bed, tucked neatly under thick, soft blankets. His body felt worn and exhausted, which brought the recent events back into his mind. The absence of pain, however, made him ponder where he might be and how long he had been out cold, thus leading him farther on his way to consciousness. The room around him smelled clean, of herbs and potions. His hearing came back, and he became aware of another person's breathing next to him on his right. Paper rustled as the side of a book was turned, while in the background the flickering of flames could be heard. Finally opening his eyes, the first thing Severus saw was the figure of Albus Dumbledore sitting on a chair on the right side of his bed with a book on his lap. 

"Ah, Severus, you have finally decided to grant me the pleasure of your presence again," Albus said warmly, looked up and smiled at the younger wizard. "How are you feeling, my dear boy?"

"Still a bit weary, but otherwise fine. How long have I been unconscious?" he asked, trying to sit up against the pillows in his back.

His mentor and friend didn't comment on his premature action, but just leaned forward and helped him gently. 

"For about two days. Poppy says you had a lot of sleep to catch up." He watched him inquiringly, his bright blue eyes twinkling despite the slight concern that showed in them. "You would tell me if you were in any pain, wouldn't you? You know we can do something about that and it's not necessary to suffer in silence."

Severus grimaced. "Yes, I know. It was me who made that particular potion as you might remember." He paused before one of the questions he had wanted to ask since he woke up came back to his attention. "What about Malfoy? Did Voldemort try anything?"

"Most fortunately not. After your alarming words I had a little chat with our dear Lucius in which I pointed out that, thanks to my resident Potions' Master, I am well aware of the potentialities of Polyjuice Potion. And that I am personally going to keep an eye on all of the Death Eater's children attending Hogwarts this term. I think he got my meaning." Albus glanced at him friendly over his glinting half-moon spectacles. "I hope you don't mind my telling him that you are back with us again. Since the students will be returning in four days, I saw no point in trying to keep it secret, so I rather took advantage from it to ensure the school's safety. And yours."

Waving his hand in a throwing-away gesture, Severus replied: "I trust you to do what is best for the school and the students. It's not like my personal matters would be of concern to anyone besides you."

Albus eye-brows wandered up towards the line of his white hair. "What made you think that? We were all worried about you when you didn't return on that fateful evening. Even the students, one Harry Potter in particular, asked if you were alright." He gazed at him earnestly. "My dear Severus, I think the time is overdue for you to grow up and finally realize your own worth. There's no use in continuing to value yourself low, not now when others rely on you more than ever." 

Severus snorted. "I can't see anybody relying on me, now that I'm not able to spy on Voldemort anymore."

"Then perhaps you should look more cautiously," the Headmaster said softly. "You could start with turning to your left."

Confused, the younger wizard obeyed without second thought and turned to face another bed. A soothingly familiar sight greeted him as he saw his beautiful red-haired friend sleeping peacefully and looking much better than when he had last seen her.

"Lily," he whispered tenderly.

Albus brows rose a bit higher. "So her name is indeed Lily?" he asked.

That made Severus look back to him. "Yes, coincidentally enough, it is. But she is not the Lily we knew."

His mentor nodded. "I assumed that much. Why don't you just tell me what happened during the past few days? I'm certain it will serve to make things clearer."

"Well, I'm not so sure about that," sighed Severus, but started to report the recent events to the Head of the Order of the Phoenix nevertheless. 

He let several things out, though, such as the names of the people he had met in the forest and the exact details of what had happened after Lily had saved his life for the first time, only roughly summarizing that part. Albus listened to him attentively, never interrupting him until he could be sure his protégé had finished.

Then he said mildly: "I suppose you have a reason for being that vague about your journey through the DarkWood. Would you care to enlighten me?"

Severus lowered his gaze briefly in discomfort, then looked the older wizard straight in the eye.

"I... She... There are several people she holds very dear that would be in tremendous danger if anything about them leaked out. She saved my life three times, Albus. I owe her more than I can ever make up to her. But I can at least start doing so by keeping her secrets safe until she opts to tell them."

For one moment, Albus' wise, old eyes seemed to look into his very soul, very similar to the way Lily's had on their first evening together. Then he nodded, and squeezed Severus' arm reassuringly. 

"I understand. It will be up to her to decide how much she is willing to tell me then," he stated calmly.

Relief washed through Severus, that his old friend didn't make him chose between his loyalty to him and the debt he owed Lily.

"Thank you, Albus. I appreciate that greatly," he replied solemnly.

The white-haired wizard smiled kindly at him. "That's what friends are for, isn't it? I trust you, Severus. And you have proved yourself worthy of that trust on countless times. Just now you have risked your life again by traveling through the most dangerous forest in Britain to warn us of Voldemort's evil plans. If you think there is something about your mysterious companion that I should know, I am fairly certain you would tell me."

Severus chest became tight with emotion. "Albus, I..."

"Fiddlesticks, my dear boy! I wouldn't have said this if you didn't deserve it. Now there is one thing I'd really like to learn more about. You said she transformed into a phoenix?"

Taken aback by the sudden change in topics, Severus just blinked before he answered: "Yes, she did. She looked like Fawkes, only darker in color." He thought for a moment, then added: "On the evening before, she told me she had dreamed about being a bird and flying away on several nights in the past. I think two days ago was not the first time she transformed. She might have done so earlier without realizing it." He looked at Albus questioningly. "But is that possible? Becoming an Animagus is hard work and a lot of practice is needed to master the change. I still have some difficulties with it myself, because I use my panther-form so rarely."

Albus sighed. "I fear there's even more to it. If I remember correctly, there is no person on the list of registered Animagi who could turn into a fantastic beast, let alone a phoenix. Your lovely friend truly presents us with one riddle after the other."

The Potions' Master snorted once again. "That she surely does. Especially when we take into consideration that she told me she was a squib."

"A squib?" the Headmaster exclaimed. "Most certainly not. I have seldom seen a more talented witch. If properly trained, she could likely grow to match even Voldemort in power." He looked at the sleeping woman, shaking his head softly in wonder. "So many unanswered questions. But according to Poppy she should wake soon. If my presence is not required at the moment, I shall make my retreat and grant the both of you some time to talk in private after she has regained consciousness. When you are ready, just call for me by floo, I will come down to meet you then."

"That is fine by me, Albus," Severus replied politely.

Nodding goodbye at him, the old wizard rose, only to turn back when he arrived at the door.

"Oh, I nearly forgot... there is some late breakfast waiting on the small table near the window. See to it, please. Poppy will have my head if she got the impression I kept you from eating," he said, winking at him.

"Don't worry. Lily and I will make sure she finds no reason to complain, Headmaster," Severus answered with a slight smirk.

Albus smiled merrily, and left them alone.

Sighing, Severus let himself sink back into his pillows and just laid there, enjoying the warmth of the blankets and the room, the peaceful silence and the feeling of being safe. Hogwarts would be fine, Lily would wake up soon and he had escaped certain death one more time. This could turn out to be a really nice day.

Letting his gaze wander round the room, he found they were in one of the facilities reserved for patients who had to remain in the Infirmary for a longer time. Finally his eyes came to rest on the sleeping form of his red-haired friend.

'How beautiful she is!' he wondered. 'She looks so peaceful in her sleep, innocent like a child. And yet I have seen her battle hungry Snow-Lizards, evil Death Eaters and menacing Harpies in order to save my life. She really is a miracle. But I would gladly spend my whole lifetime trying to solve the puzzle she presents if that meant we could stay together. The only question is, would she want it, too?'

Severus sighed again, heavily this time. 'Probably not. Once she wakes up, she will be eager to return to the DarkWood to protect her family and her friends. Don't fool yourself, Severus. She's not like you. She has a life on her own, a purpose to fulfill. Soon, she will forget the stranger she has saved and move on. She is not your Lily, remember?'

He couldn't help but add: 'But I wish she was...'

Some time later he realized he had been dozing off when the sound of movements on his left side woke him. Turning towards her, he saw Lily stir and quickly got up and to her bedside. Naturally, he rose too fast and swayed slightly before he gathered his balance and closed the short space between the two beds. He grimaced.

'I'm lucky Poppy didn't see that. It's quite untypical for her to leave her patients on their own for such a long time. Surely Albus has talked her into it. And I have to admit I could get used to it. That woman does really get on my nerves from time to time with all her fussing around.'

His thoughts were drawn back to the woman in front of him immediately when he noticed the fluttering of her eye-lids. A moment later she opened her eyes and looked up at him, the last remnants of sleep still lingering in the emerald depths.

"Severus?" she asked drowsily.

He gently took one of her hands in his. "I'm here, Lily."

She smiled slightly, then frowned. "I've been having one of those dreams again,..." She let the sentence trail off as her gaze slowly cleared and alertness returned to it. 

He saw her green eyes widen as she took in her surroundings.

"Where the...?! That was no dream!" she whispered.

"No, it wasn't. Everything was real. You became a phoenix and saved my life -for the third time in a row." He smirked. "We seem to make a habit out of it, don't we?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Confusion started to darken the emerald orbs.

"I only remember parts of it. All seems kind of... clouded. Like... a dream you try to grasp upon waking up in the morning while it struggles to escape you."

She shook her head softly, like in an attempt to clear it. Then she looked up to him again.

"I became a phoenix? But that's impossible! Animagi are only known to assume the form of mundane animals. And I'm a squib! I shouldn't be able to do this at all!" she exclaimed in puzzlement.

Severus let his smirk turn into a genuine smile.

"Sorry to disappoint you," he said in a soft echo of her very first words to him, "but I fear you're as much a witch as I'm a wizard, perhaps even more so. Albus told me that he thinks you could be quite powerful if you got the right training."

Her eyes widened even further and became forest-green with surprise and distress.

"Me? A witch?" she whispered in disbelief. "But why did Grandma never...?" She took a deep breath and seemed to pull herself together with some effort.

"I trust you to be serious about this. I think I'll rather deal with it when I got a bit more acquainted with the thought. For now...," she paused, then blinked.

"Wait a moment! Did you just say Albus? Like in 'Albus Dumbledore'?" she breathed.

He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "That's correct," he confirmed.

She pressed his hand, hard. "Did he see me?" she demanded, fear creeping into her gaze.

"Why, sure," he replied slightly clueless as to what might bother her so much. "He watched over the two of us while we were unconscious, so it would have been rather difficult not to see you. But better him than Madam Pomfrey. She would surely be fussing all over us by now to make sure we 'heal properly'."

Lily paled. "She saw me, too? How much did you tell them?"

"I only talked to Albus and I told him as little as possible. He knows your name, how you saved my life in the DarkWood and later in the Forbidden Forest, and that telling anything farther would put many people in grave danger." He patted her hand calmingly, realizing that she feared for the safety of her friends and family. "Don't be afraid, fire-child. I would trust Albus with my life. I have never seen him betray the trust someone put in him. The little he knows about you will be absolutely safe with him. But I had to tell him at least that much. He is the Headmaster of this school and in his duty to ensure the students' well-fare he has to know whom he grants the hospitality of Hogwarts."

"So this is Hogwarts?" she asked, still sounding thoroughly scared and let her gaze wander round the room.

"Yes," Severus said softly. "Lily..." he began, drawing her eyes back to him, but dropping the rest of the sentence when he saw her face. 

She looked so vulnerable and terrified, so lost... Unable to suppress the sudden urge to comfort her, he closed her into his arms and held her tenderly. At first, she tensed briefly, but after a moment she started to tremble and gave in to his embrace. 

"I'm sorry," she mumbled into his shoulder, "it's just that I have the feeling my whole world is falling apart... . And that I can do absolutely nothing to prevent it from happening... ."

"Shhh," he murmured soothingly, gently stroking her back. "I know, it's a bit much to cope with at the same time, especially when you're still not completely back to your original condition. Don't worry, this is going to work out just fine and you will be back with your family in no time."

"Please hold me, Severus. Just... hold me..." she whispered barely audible.

And that he did.

'How is it that she can make me feel again after all those years? I'm not supposed to feel, to care. I'm meant to be the mean Head of Slytherin House, the evil Potions' Master, the ruthless Ex-Death Eater, not a love-struck fool who just wants to hold his beloved one forever. I worked so hard to bury these emotions deep inside me after I had to watch Dominick die, and I thought they were finally gone for good when Lily was killed. But now it seems they only hid themselves in a corner of my mind, ready to come out once more when I least expected it.

Now she changes everything by just being there. She causes me to remember, to feel like when I was young again. When I still cared about the people around me and let very few of them become close to me. Before I started to make them stay away from me. But do I want these changes?

My world is small and safe. My world is stable and predictable. My world is secluded and emotionless and cautiously warded.

And I just have the feeling my whole world is falling apart... .

Why couldn't things simply stay the same?'

Severus caressed Lily's dark-red curls in a loving gesture.

'Probably because somewhere deep down I don't want them to...'

Both of them were silent for a while, then Lily sighed and pulled back slightly, just enough to be able to look at him.

"Better?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "Better. Thank you."

Still staying in his embrace, she looked at the room more properly, until her eyes came to rest on her bedside table and she frowned. His gaze followed hers and he noticed that something was lying on it. It was a beautiful, single deep red rose .

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

"A rose," she replied absent-mindedly, but then turned her attention back to him. "Have you seen who left it there?"

"No, I had no idea it was there until you found it. Perhaps you already have a secret admirer?" he teased her friendly.

She didn't answer his question, but leaned forward and took it up. To his amazement, the flower immediately turned into a piece of parchment.

Lily didn't seem surprised at all. Her eyes scanned it briefly, and she soon heaved a sigh of relief, finally relaxing in his arms before looking up to him again.

"It's a letter from Grandma. She writes... Oh, I think it's easiest if you read it for yourself," she said, holding the parchment in a way he would be able to read it. "Sorry, I have to keep holding it, otherwise it would change back into the rose."

Severus nodded and glanced at the letter.

  
  


'My dear child,

I sincerely hope this letter finds you well and safe under the protection of Hogwarts. 

The Fays and the mares came back today and told us what happened, having watched the battle from the other side of the ravine, unable to interfere. 

I know you must have many questions now, and you will get your answers when you are back with us.

As I'm quite sure that Madam Pomfrey won't be willing to let you out of her care for the next few days, I suggest that you ask the Headmaster to talk her into giving you permission to leave by tomorrow. 

Use the Short Ways to return to us as soon as possible.

You may bring one person with you if you want to, and you are allowed to tell this person and Albus Dumbledore your mother's and your full name. Albus should remember her, he taught her Transfiguration and was the best friend of your grandfather.

The rest will be explained at a later time.

I'll expect your arrival around dusk tomorrow evening and send someone to get you.

Don't worry, my dear. Everything will work out just fine.

  
  


Love,

Grandma Rose'

  
  


He didn't lift his gaze from the parchment as he asked calmly: "So you are going to leave tomorrow?"

"Yes, if they let me go. I hoped... ," she paused briefly before she continued softly. "Would you come with me?"

Looking up in pleasant surprise, he saw her eyes were back to emerald again and starting to twinkle slightly. Color had begun to return to her face and she looked better than she ever had during the past few days, more at ease.

"I'd like to, but there's still Voldemort who wants to see me dead," he replied uncertainly.

"The Short Ways are absolutely safe. Nobody outside the DarkWood knows about them, and their creators guard them heavily nonetheless. They will protect us from any harm," she argued.

He quirked an eyebrow at her inquiringly. "If they are so secure, then why didn't we use them on our way to Hogwarts?"

"Because I would never have been allowed to show them to a stranger from outside the wood," she said with regret.

"And now that your Grandmother gave you permission, you can do so," he stated.

She smiled at him, her face wearing a peaceful expression that suited her very well.

"Yes. And I can finally introduce myself properly to you. My name is Lily McGonagall."

"McGonagall?" he exclaimed. "Are you in any way related to Minerva McGonagall?"

She frowned in concentration as she thought about that for a moment. "Just remotely, if I remember correctly. I think we're very distant cousins as it is. Why do you ask?"

"She's the Deputy Headmistress of this school," he replied, wondering what more there was yet to come with getting to know Lily better.

"Perhaps I'll get the opportunity to meet her someday, I'd really like to. But for now, I still believe the less people who know about me, the better."

Severus shook his head in puzzlement. "You know, you never stop amazing me. With every question I find an answer to, you arise several new."

"Should that bother me?" she asked mischievously, "At least that might ensure that you never loose your interest in me..."

He felt his heart skip a beat. "As if I ever could..."

Not sure if he had actually said this aloud and feeling himself blush, he cleared his throat and, catching sight of the covered trays on the small table next to the window, remembered what Albus had told him.

"If we want to leave tomorrow, we should be careful not to give Poppy any reasons to decline. There is some late breakfast on the table under the window, so we best take care of it, what do you think?"

"Sure," she exclaimed eagerly, "I'm starving!"

And thus the two of them rose, made their way to the window and sat down at the small table. He felt a bit awkward in pajamas, though someone, probably Albus, had spared him the usual Infirmary outfit and granted him his accustomed own black ones. Still, he missed his robes! Lily however didn't seem to mind wearing only a long, forest-green nightdress while being out of bed. Her dark-red curls hang loosely down to her waist, giving her a somewhat girlish look he immediately took a liking to. 

When they removed the covers from the trays, they thought they could impossibly finish even half of the hearty breakfast the House-Elves had prepared for them. After they had started to eat, though, they found they were both ravenous and soon they had consumed enough of the meal to satisfy even the stern Madam Pomfrey. 

"Severus?" Lily asked then, seating herself cross-legged on her chair and leaning back with a cup of tea comfortably, "What's going to happen now?"

He sighed inwardly. His Lily had used to do that exactly the same way. 

"Albus asked me to call for him when we are ready. I figure he wants to talk to you. So when you think it's alright for you, I'll tell him by floo."

She put her empty cup back on the table and tilted her head slightly to one side.

"Well, on principle I have no objections, but I would like very much to clean myself a bit and get some clothes before we meet him, if that's possible."

"That should be no problem. If I remember correctly, the door on the left leads to a bathroom which contains both a shower and a tub, as well as anything else you might need," he told her.

Her magnificent eyes turned bright green and twinkled happily with anticipated joy.

"That's absolutely wonderful. Do you mind if I go first?" she asked dreamily, already rising in a smooth motion and glancing longingly at the door he had mentioned.

Severus couldn't prevent an amused chuckle from escaping him. "No, not at all. Off with you, and enjoy your shower."

She turned back to him in surprise. "How did you know?"

He smiled a bit sadly and stood as well. "You resemble Lily not just in your outward appearance."

Her face softened with sympathy and she quickly closed the short space between them to hug him. When she pulled back, she looked him square in the eyes in a way that reminded him strangely of his white-haired mentor and friend, like there was something about him that only she and Albus could see.

"Then perhaps my presence here can help ease the pain a bit that her loss has caused you all those years ago and still does. Sometimes, what seems to be a chance encounter at first may turn out to serve a higher purpose in hindsight. Maybe all of this was meant to happen," she said gently.

Covering his whirling emotions with a sarcastic smirk, he retorted: "Says the woman who told me she doesn't believe in divination."

She just hugged him once more, then left the shelter of his arms and replied in a tender seriousness: "My Grandmother used to say: 

'Life is nothing but a series of coincidences, just like a big game of dominoes. If the rows of stones are set up in the right way, all it takes to make them fall is the right course of action. And action can always be controlled by the ones who carry it out. So by choosing our deeds carefully, we set the course for future paths to be taken.'" 

She smiled kindly. "One time, I asked her: 'But Grandma, what happens when I make a wrong choice? What can I do when I miss my path?' 

And she answered: 'Stones that fell cannot just be set up again. Once a path is chosen, it leads straight on to the next. But if you are lucky, you may come upon a familiar crossing one day and find a path that is quite similar to the one you wanted to take. Then you know that sometimes life gives you second chances. It is up to us what to make of them.'"

And with this said, Lily turned and went to the bathroom.

Severus for his part, kept staring after her for several minutes after she had left through the wooden door, unable to stop pondering what she had just told him.

Then he shook himself out of his thoughts and called for a House-Elf to ask for fresh clothes for the two of them, instructing the little servant on which things to bring him from his wardrobe and to leave those for Lily in the bathroom. The time that passed until she reemerged from the adjacent room he spent thinking about the paths he had chosen in his life and how they might now affect his future. 

When she finally returned, his chest began to ache with restrained emotions as his gaze fell on her. She was wearing a plain, yet beautiful emerald gown with golden laces, her long hair cascading down her back and kept out of her face by a cloth in the same colors as the dress. Her face was full of a calm joy and confidence that warmed his heart and changed her appearance from beautiful to striking. She looked well-rested and full of life. He loved her.

Not trusting his voice so far as to try and speak, he just smiled and nodded at her, and fled into the bathroom. After a nice long shower, first cold, then warm, he almost felt like a human being again. Drying himself with a wandless charm, he put on his cherished black clothes and robes. 'Now I feel like myself again.'

Reentering the other room, he found her standing at the window and watching the grounds in fascination. Moving to stand behind her, he glanced over her shoulder to see what she was looking at. Down on the grounds, a group of students was having a snowball-fight. One party seemed to consist of the Terrific Trio, while on the other side he spotted the Weasley twins and their little sister. When he followed her gaze, he realized she was staring at none other than the famous Harry Potter. A sneer formed on his face without him noticing it.

"So you have already spotted our dear Wonder Boy," he drawled silkily.

She jumped at the sound of his voice, and jerked around to face him.

"Hellfire, Severus, can't you make a sound when you walk? You nearly scared me out of my wits!" she exclaimed miffed.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "The bad habits of a teacher, I fear."

Just then noticing his changed looks, she took the new sight in, before she commented: "Well, you surely look like one. I just hope you don't expect me to call you Professor Snape."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "And why should I not?"

"Because I fear I might turn very rude if you ever got the idea of calling me Miss McGonagall," she retorted, grimacing.

Shrugging again, he said: "Then perhaps we better stick to Lily and Severus, what do you think?"

She smiled. "That's fine by me." Returning to the window, she looked down to the students once more. "Who did you say the dark-haired boy is?"

"It's Harry Potter. I take it you know about him?"

"Yes... and no. It seems I didn't know nearly as much as I thought," she replied a bit distractedly.

When he saw her eyes were dark again, he realized she was deeply shaken by something.

"Lily? Is anything wrong?" he inquired softly.

"No, I'm alright. I... just thought I saw somebody down there who looks like a person I know very well. Nothing more." Smiling friendly at him, she added: "Would you mind calling the Headmaster now? I'd rather be done with that conversation as soon as possible."

He accepted her evading to answer his question properly and mock-bowed to her. "As you wish, my lady."

"Thank you very much, my lord wizard."

Both of them grinning, Severus went to the fire-place, threw some floo-powder into the flames and told Albus that they were ready to meet him now. One moment later, his mentor stepped out of the fire, brushing the soot of his sapphire robes. His bright blue eyes sought Lily's immediately, and Severus saw her emerald ones widen in amazement. Albus smiled friendly at her and came over to them.

"It is a pleasure to see you awake and up again, dear child. Take a seat, please. I am Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as Severus surely has told you. How are you feeling?" he asked kindly while the three of them sat down.

Still slightly wide-eyed but otherwise showing no sign of her surprise, she replied: "Much better, thank you, sir. Severus has indeed told me a bit about you and your school. But the majority of what I know did my Grandmother teach me. She also said you might have known my mother. Her name was Salvia, Salvia McGonagall. I'm called Lily, as Severus already told you."

Now it was the old wizard's turn to be surprised.

"Salvia? Oh dear, of course I remember her! How could I not? A Gryffindor if there ever was one and a remarkable talent for Transfiguration, I dare say a natural with it, that fierce young lady. She had mastered her Animagus form by the end of her second year." He smiled at the memory. "She could turn into a lioness at will. But there has always been some kind of a secret around her... ," he let the sentence trail off, then seemed to return to the present with a jerk. 

"So you are her daughter?" He watched her more closely. "Yes, I can see the likenesses now, though your eyes and hair are darker than hers. That I didn't notice it at once... But it has been a long time and I'm not getting any younger." 

He sighed. "You know, the both of you strongly resemble your Grandfather, your mother was nearly a carbon copy of him. He was my best friend when I was a student at this school and he always helped me in my fight for the good after our graduation. I would never have been able to defeat Grindelwald back then if James hadn't sacrificed his life and thus given me the chance of striking the dark wizard down. Poor Rose. But almost all of us have lost beloved ones in one or the other of the two Dark Times the Wizarding World had to face during this century. It's the terrible price of war." 

He shook his head sadly, then his smile returned. "But hope is always near. Your Grandfather lived through your mother, and now, through you. Please tell me child, what happened to Salvia? And who is your father? There is something in your features that seems vaguely familiar to me, but I just fail to recall the face it reminds me of."

"I know almost nothing about my father since he was killed by Voldemort before I was born. My mother didn't survive my birth either, so I was raised by my Grandmother. She doesn't talk about them often, and I refrain from asking her because I know how much it still hurts her. I'm certain that she will tell me what I need to know in her own time. I can wait," Lily said calmly.

Albus nodded in understanding. "I never met your Grandmother, but from the letters she wrote me, she appeared to be a very wise woman and I believe she will not disappoint you."

She smiled back at him. "So do I. Talking of letters, just today she sent me a note asking for my return as soon as possible, and she told me I could bring one other person. Professor Snape is already acquainted with traveling the DarkWood and has kindly agreed to accompany me, so could we arrange our depart for tomorrow noon?"

The white-haired wizard's brows wandered up and laid his forehead in wrinkles, but his eyes started to twinkle.

"Alas, I fear that might be a bit too soon for Madam Pomfrey's liking. You have to take into consideration that both of you have been unconscious for about two days and just woke up a couple of hours ago. She'll surely want to look after you for the next few days until she can be certain that you are completely healed."

Lily's emerald eyes twinkled cautiously back. "Grandma suggested that you might help to... speed matters up a bit."

"You mean I should talk her into it," Albus stated, his blue orbs bright with amusement.

She managed to look sweet and innocent though the twinkle was evident by now. "I wouldn't have put it that way, but who am I to contradict the wise Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

Both of them grinned, twinkling at each other, and Severus couldn't help but chuckle. They were really two of a kind.

Looking at him, Albus' grin turned into a fatherly smile, before he shifted his gaze back to Lily.

"It seems I have to admit defeat. Hearing that particular sound from my severe Potions' Master must indeed be a sign that the two of you are well enough to leave by tomorrow, for I cannot remember having heard him chuckle in quite a long time. If you don't mind, however, I intend to utilize your remaining time here as well as possible. As we don't know when Lily will be able to return to us, you, young lady, and I will work on your control over your Animagus form. Severus, I believe you may want to check on your lab and prepare your equipment. Do you have a spare wand in your quarters?"

The younger wizard nodded. "I still have my first wand. It should do well enough after some practice."

"That's good to hear. Now, I'll better go and visit Poppy so that you can return to your dungeons, Severus. Lily, I think we both agree that you best remain here where no-one but Severus, Poppy and me will know of your presence. I will return as soon as I finished my talk, and we'll see what we can do about your transformation skills. My dear boy, you will join us for dinner later on, won't you?"

Severus shrugged, though he had every intention to do so. "Sure."

Albus beamed at them happily. "Excellent. Then we best start now. I'll see you later," he said and bustled out of the room.

Lily looked after him and smiled merrily. "I really like him. He's absolutely remarkable."

"That he is. He is the greatest wizard of our time. And a good friend." He stood and glanced down at her. "I guess I better take my leave now as well. There's much to do and just one day time for it."

She nodded and rose gracefully, too. "I'll see you later then?" she asked.

"Yes. Good luck."

"To you, too. Be careful."

"I will, if you'll be, too."

"Deal."

  
  


°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:

**Thank you** all very much for the nice reviews!!!

I was especially touched by those of **LilyEvansPotter**, who reviewed nearly every single chapter in a great manner. This chappie is for you!

I'm sorry it took me so long, but I've already told you that dialogs are hard on me. In return, this is the longest chapter so far. I just hope I didn't make too many mistakes, but I really wanted to post this even though it's four o'clock in the morning.

In the next three chapters there will be a MAJOR plot twist. You'll get to know Lily's family and thus many OCs will be presented. I just hope that you bear with me through the next few chapters, although the story may seem to change dramatically. Everything will be explained later.

How will everything at Hogwarts work out? What will Lily's family be like? And will Lily get the answers she is looking for?

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  


  
  



	17. I think I just made the biggest mistake ...

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


A/N:

This chapter, one of the most important in the story, is written _in memoriam_ _of_ **Prof. Dr. K.-H. Niessen**, who died way too early and left all of us, his family, his students, his staff at the Children's Hospital and his little patients with an empty space that will never be entirely refilled.   
He was the greatest Professor I ever had the honor to know and I will try to uphold the high standards he set to the occupation as a Pediatrician when I am ready to become one. 

He will never be forgotten.

  
  


  
  


Chapter 15: I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life!

  
  


It was late evening when Severus returned to the hospital wing after having spent the whole afternoon down in the dungeons. He had brewed a few potions he felt he should keep ready at all times which gave him the opportunity to calm himself down and think about what he had learned so far. But the entire affair still confused him. 

So Lily was a witch. That was no surprise, he had suspected it right from the start. But that she really hadn't known about it... Still, he believed her. Even if her eyes wouldn't make her so easy to read, the shock she had shown when he had told her had been genuine enough. What he really would have liked to know was why she had never been to Hogwarts, especially if her mother had been allowed to go there. He strongly suspected that her grandmother had kept both the knowledge and the letter from her, and he wondered why.

The thought lead him to her family name, McGonagall, and from that on to James Quigley McGonagall. Naturally, he had read about him as the man had played a major role in the defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald. But he had been oblivious to just how important his part in the final battle had been until Albus had told Lily. Now that he thought about it, it seemed quite obvious to him that McGonagall had stayed in the background throughout the war, and let Albus be the official heroic Gryffindor savior. Little was known about his family, and even less of that had been written down. He couldn't remember ever having heard of James McGonagall having a daughter. All of that struck him a bit odd.

But there was yet more. If his calculations were correct, Salvia McGonagall had been at Hogwarts around 1940, at the same time as his parents. And one Tom Riddle... . 

Was that the reason for their hiding in the DarkWood? 

He couldn't quite make head nor tail of it.

Feeling he had to relieve his confusion somehow, he had gone looking for his old wand. After having found it, he had sought out one of the hidden training-halls of the Order and exercised some curses, charms and hexes. That lessened the tension in him somewhat and now he felt considerably better, though nothing the wiser. Well, he would meet Rose McGonagall soon, and once Lily had gotten her answers, he planned on asking the old lady the one or other question himself. 

On his way to the infirmary, he wondered once more how he'd gotten himself into all of this. But he honestly couldn't say he did mind.

  
  


Albus voice greeted him when he opened the door to their room. The beds had been moved to the walls to enlarge the free space and the old wizard was standing in the centre, talking to Lily in low, hypnotic tones that somehow seemed to seep deep into the mind. 

"Focus on the flame in your mind... . See the light, ... hear the soft whisper, ...feel the heat.... . Concentrate... . Become the flame.... . And now: ...Change!"

Severus saw fire flash behind his mentor and where one second before his red-haired friend had been standing, a magnificent crimson and golden phoenix was hovering in the air. Familiar green eyes met his, and with a trill of joy the bird swooped past Albus and down on the arm the Potions Master held out in reflex. Settling herself carefully on it, she chirped happily and twinkled up at him. Strangely shy, he lifted his other hand reluctantly up to her and began to stroke the smooth feathers gently. Lily crooned contentedly in response and leaned into the caress, eyes closing in pleasure. The sight made him smile and chuckle softly. 

"I take it you approve of our progress, my dear boy?" Albus asked warmly, bringing him back to the here and now.

Severus felt colour creep into his cheeks and quickly looked down so that the curtain of his black hair would hide it. The bird on his arm gave herself a shake and fluffed her feathers, appearing to be slightly embarrassed as well. The Headmaster's amused chuckle made both of them look up again and they found him standing directly in front of them.

"What a nice pair you would make," he said, blue eyes twinkling brightly, "like fire and shadow." He paused for a moment, smiling fatherly at them, then continued. "But I think Lily should better change back now. It's already late and we worked hard in the past hours. Poppy will give all of us a tongue-lashing if we don't finish and have dinner soon. You know how to do it, child?"

Lily made a sound of confirmation, took off and hovered in the middle of the room for an instant before fire surrounded her shape once more and left her human form in its wake. She smiled proudly at the two men, face slightly flushed and looking very lovely.

Albus nodded appraisingly. "Very good, my dear. You are a remarkably quick study."

Her eyes sparkled with joy at his words. "Well, as I told you, I'm not completely ignorant. Grandma did teach me the theories, I just lack the practice."

"Nevertheless, it was an outstanding achievement, and you have every right to be proud of it," he affirmed friendly.

"Thank you, sir," she beamed.

"You're welcome. Now let us take a seat at the table, you two have to replenish your power-reserves."

When they had sat down, the white-haired wizard clapped twice, and table-ware and food appeared before them. They ate in amiable silence, enjoying the savoury meal after their field-cooking. 

Finally full and content, Severus turned to the Headmaster and asked: "How did your talk with Poppy go?" 

"Well," Albus cleared his throat deliberately, "we had a... nice long conversation. She told me in many details what she thought of your request."

Severus frowned. "So she said no?"

His mentor looked at him with a touch of fake indignation. "Most certainly not. Although she wasn't happy about it, she gave her permission. You may leave tomorrow if you pass one final examination she insisted on."

Severus groaned.

"I'm sorry, that was the best I could manage."

The younger man scowled, getting the suspicion they would still be at Hogwarts the next evening.

Lily just smiled at him comfortingly. "Don't worry, my friend. We will be on our way before dusk sets in."

"How can you be so sure about that? You don't know Poppy," he grumbled annoyed.

She winked slyly. "Let's just say I have the feeling it will work out alright and leave it at that, shall we?"

Realization drove his anger away. "Oh. I understand." Turning back to Albus, he quickly changed topics. "Do you have any plans for us tomorrow morning?"

Though his piercing eyes made clear he had noticed his protégé's tactic, the older wizard didn't pursue the question.

"Why, in fact, I have. First, I want you two to lie in and then have a nice breakfast. When you are finished, you can call me and I will come down for further training. I believe both of you will benefit from learning to cast some wandless spells without spending too much of your energy in the process." He smiled at their obvious amazement. "I trust you to use the knowledge you're going to obtain wisely. After that we will wait for Poppy to check on you and give her consent to your depart. Any objections?"

"No, sir," they replied in unison, looked at each other in surprise and blushed faintly.

Albus laughed softly, and rose from his seat. "I think you'd better go to bed now, children. It's already later than you might think and you'll need your strength tomorrow."

Severus snorted to hide his embarrassment. "Yes, father."

Lily hit him playfully on the arm. "Don't be a brat, Severus," she chided gently. "Goodnight, Professor Dumbledore."

The Headmaster's eyes twinkled merrily. "Goodnight, my dear. And to you, too, Severus. Sleep well, both of you."

Severus sighed in defeat. "Goodnight, Albus."

And the old, wise wizard nodded at them and left.

Trying to cover the sudden awkwardness between them, Severus asked politely: "Do you want to use the bathroom first?"

"If you don't mind," she replied timidly.

"No, not at all," he said.

She smiled at him gratefully. "Then I'll be off. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

When both of them had changed into their night-clothes, things were thankfully back to normal again, and they spend some time chatting animatedly before sleep finally claimed them.

  
  


Sounds of distress woke Severus a few hours after midnight, coming from his left. He quickly sat up, reached for his wand and cast Lumos. In the blueish light he saw that Lily was winding on her bed and moaning as if in pain. He hurried to her side and gently shook her awake, wondering how strangely warm her skin was again, like at the time when she had changed back into human after having rescued him in her phoenix form.

She opened her eyes almost instantly, but the dream persisted for some moments before it released her.

"No! Pleeease!" She choked, and eventually woke completely. "The fire!"

She looked terrified and started to tremble, so he sat down and pulled her into his arms. She clang to him desperately.

"Oh Severus, it was awful! There was fire everywhere, and people crying out in pain, men dying in the flames, and in the centre of it were those eyes..." 

She shuddered, and he stroked her back soothingly.

"Red. They were red like blood and had slitted pupils like a cat's. And they looked at me... "

Her words made him freeze. "Those are Voldemort's eyes you describe. Do you think it was a vision?"

"I think so. But I can't tell when it will happen or where. I'll only know when the moment is just a short time away."

"Then we have no choice but to wait and see what happens," he replied calmly.

She sighed. "You're right. But I hate it. The waiting, I mean."

He caressed her hair tenderly. "I know," he said softly.

They stayed like that for some time, but when he tried to steal himself out of the embrace to return to his own bed, she just held on to him tighter.

"Please," she whispered, "please, would you stay with me a little while longer? Just until I'm asleep again. Please..."

Severus heart flew out to her, and he made no effort to prevent it. After all, a bit of human proximity couldn't hurt, now could it?

"Don't worry, I'll stay a little longer," he softly whispered back to her.

Heaving a sigh of relief, she moved over to give him more space, and he settled himself in a comfortable position, still holding her in his arms.

He never made it back to his bed, as sleep came over them with full force, and the light of the new day found them tenderly entwined.

  
  


No-one came to wake them, so they slept in and the sun was already shining brightly when they finally got up. Again, the bathroom proved to be a formidable tool to cover their embarrassment upon waking in each other's arms. When they were dressed, breakfast was already waiting for them. While they ate and talked, the tension between them eased and resolved completely with the Headmaster's arrival. 

Severus quirked an eyebrow at his older friend.

"How do you always manage to do that? We were just about to call you."

Albus only smiled his kind, innocent smile and said: "Leave an old man his little secrets, will you, Severus?"

Then he half-turned to the red-haired woman beside his Potions Master. "A good morning to you, my dear. Did you sleep well?"

Severus flinched inwardly. Did Albus know what had happened during the night?

Lily smiled back at the elderly wizard and answered without bating an eyelid. "Good morning, Professor Dumbledore. I slept well enough, thank you."

The Headmaster nodded to himself. "That's good to hear. So are you two ready for today's training session?" he asked mildly.

"Yes, sir," they replied together.

Their mentor's eyes started to twinkle. "Then we shall begin."

They learned a great deal on that morning, but it was no wonder since Albus was a really formidable teacher. He showed them the basics of wandless magic and let them practice their knowledge in simple spells. It was a challenge for both of them, though Severus found Lily to have the advantage over him as she had never known another way to use magic. He on the other hand had almost as much to unlearn as to learn. But they finally managed, each on his or her own way. When they had gotten the knack of it, their teacher slowly started to increase the difficulty of the spells until around noon they had eventually mastered some really complex ones.

That was when Albus finished the session, and feeling fairly spent, they were rather grateful for it. The old wizard sent them off to shower after a short lunch and promised to meet with them again before their depart. And sure enough, once they returned to their room clean, refreshed and each wearing a new set of clothes, they found none other than Madam Pomfrey waiting for them.

Though she never said so, Poppy made it quite obvious that she didn't want to let them go. She fussed all about them, trying to draw out the examination as much as possible. Severus grew more irritated with every passing moment. Had it not been for Lily, who gently held him back whenever Poppy wouldn't notice, he would have gotten really nasty rather soon. But he trusted her and restrained his anger with an effort. When Lily saw that he had gotten a grip on himself, she went into the offensive and engaged Poppy in a complex discussion about several medical draughts and healing in general. Severus participated whenever he was spoken to, but left the talking mainly to his red-haired friend. He couldn't see where that aimed anyway.

The afternoon passed and Severus almost accepted that they would have to spend another night in the castle, when something in the conversation changed. As if the two women had covered an entirely different topic in their talk, Poppy shot him a critical look and then said:

"I trust you to keep him from doing something foolish before too soon. Always remember that it will be in my care you're going to wind up if something happens to you, and I will make you severely regret persuading me to let you leave against better knowledge should that be the case. Am I understood?"

Lily smiled her serene smile and nodded. "Yes, Ma'am," she answered firmly, and after she had cast him an urging look, he followed suit.

Madam Pomfrey snorted sceptically, but allowed them to go.

Severus asked the House-Elves to pack their belongings so that they could meet with Albus and didn't loose any more time. The little servants were only too happy to help them. 

The Headmaster arrived shortly after, his blue eyes twinkling merrily at Lily, who grinned and twinkled back. Then he addressed them both.

"I was fairly certain you would manage to coax Poppy into giving her consent, my dear, though I rightly assumed it would take you a while. Now, seeing how late it already is, I will try to keep this short."

He reached into his long, peacock-blue robes and took a sealed envelope from one of his pockets.

"Having spent hours yesterday as well as this morning teaching you, I am absolutely convinced that you bear a great talent for the use of magic. It would be a shame, no, a sin not to train it. Therefore I took the liberty of writing a letter for your Grandmother, in which I strongly recommend her to give you permission to attend this school. I would opt to teach you myself, if that might change her mind.

I would like very much, however, to welcome you back in Hogwarts anytime soon."

Lily's eyes shone brightly with emotion and she seemed deeply touched by the old wizard's words.

"I...," she began, her voice a bit raw with gratitude, "Thank you very much, Professor Dumbledore. That means a lot to me. I would love to come back and learn more about my abilities. I will give your letter to Grandma and talk to her as soon as I can. I am certain we will find a way to render my return possible."

"I sincerely hope so, child. My best wishes go with you." He smiled affectionately, then added:

Oh, and please be so kind as to remember that Hogwarts is going to need its Potions Master in four days from now when term starts again, will you?" 

Lily smiled merrily back. "Sure, sir. Don't worry, Severus will be back on time."

"Then off you go. Be careful, my dear boy, and take care of your lovely friend. A save and peaceful journey to both of you."

"Thank you, Albus. I'll see you," Severus replied with a touch of regret that he had to leave the only home he knew so soon again.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," echoed the redhead at his side. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, children," Albus said warmly, and left them to pick up their bags and start their journey.

  
  


As Lily had promised, they were on their way before dusk set in, but noon was long past. They followed a narrow path deep into the Forbidden Forest and his red-haired companion watched their surroundings attentively, always checking for potential threats and pursuers. When they didn't encounter any, they left the path and made their way to a complex cave system.

The entrance to the Short Ways was well-concealed in a way that made Severus certain no-one who didn't know how to find it would ever stand a chance to come across it. Lily, however, knew what she had to do, and after making absolutely sure that they were alone and nobody had followed them, she lead Severus down into a dark cave. 

Taking him by the hand, she showed the Potions Master the way into the deep mazes under the wood. The familiar feeling of eyes watching him cautiously accompanied them from the first step, but nothing tried to bother them, though they saw many peculiar things on their way through the darkness. Strange plants grew in the poorly lit caverns, some of them phosphorescent, others displaying weird shapes and colours. Alien creatures hurried away as soon as they became aware of the humans, shyly leaving them to their business. Sometimes light made its ways through some obscure connection with the world upside, illuminated subterranean lakes and made large naturally grown crystals sparkle in all the colours of the rainbow. 

They encountered some breathtaking sights and when they eventually returned to the surface, he was sure he would never forget the hours they had spent in the Small People's realm.

  
  


It was well past dusk outside and night had already fallen, but his friend never hesitated and took him further into the wood. They stopped at a large willow and she looked intently around, apparently searching for someone. A pair of yellow eyes glowing in the moonlight directly in front of them made Severus jump and Lily snort.

"Always good for a dramatic appearance, aren't we?" she asked in sarcastic tones.

The stranger mock-bowed at her and replied in a humble voice: "At your service, sword-lady."

Lily laughed and rushed over to hug him. He returned the affectionate gesture warmly.

"Merlin, Lily," the man said when they separated, grinning widely, "it's good to have you back. The pack was really worried when they heard about the Death Eater attack."

She snorted again. "And Ria, my precious family and you were not."

"Why should we? We know you," he retorted with mischief in his eyes.

"Watch it, Romy," she warned, but didn't sound too earnest. Glancing to where Severus was standing, she asked: "Is it save to make a bit of light? I would like to introduce you to a new friend of mine."

He shrugged, frowning in thought. "Sure, go ahead. We've already fed the acromantulas today, if I recall correctly. But then, you never know..."

"Romy," she scolded, but he dodged the friendly blow at his arm and grinned at her again.

"It's just the pleasure of your presence that overwhelms my poor mind," he told her meekly.

"Like there was much to overwhelm in the first place," she grumbled and called fire into her raised hand.

The soft flames illuminated the small clearing they were standing on. The man she had called 'Romy' turned out to be a tall guy with shoulder-length grey hair, the yellow eyes of a werewolf and an overall wolfish look about him. His smile revealed slightly enlarged canines and his bearing was that of a hunter. Around his neck he wore a pendant like the one Severus had seen with Ria, a smooth, oval gemstone that looked like someone had taken a piece out of the large pale half of the moon above them and fit it into a delicate golden frame.

Before Lily could say anything else, the man had approached the dark-haired wizard and was looking at him searchingly.

"Severus Snape, I assume? Ria told me all about your... encounter." He smiled wolfishly. "Romulus Lupin. I'm honored to meet you at last. My little brother wrote quite a lot to me about his... Slytherin year-mate."

Severus' eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly got a grip on himself and looked at the werewolf with a neutral expression.

"Remus told me everything about the incident in the Shrieking Shack," Romulus continued. "He was terribly upset, you know? He very nearly quit school because of it. It was one of those times I really wished I could leave the wood and go comfort him. But somehow we managed in the end. He still has no idea where I live, though." He sighed. "That's the prize we pay." 

The grey-haired man paused briefly. "Thankfully, the invention of a potion to keep the wolf's nature at bay took a load off my mind. Although I desperately wanted to, I was not allowed to share the draught we have here at the wood with my brother, as it was still in a testing period. Remus wrote it was you who created the Wolfsbane Potion?"

The Potions Master nodded serenely. "Indeed, it was."

Romulus's face changed into an expression of gratefulness. "That was very respectable of you, helping someone who almost killed you, even though it was an accident. I highly appreciate what you did." He held out his hand for the other to shake. "Welcome to the DarkWood."

Wondering if Remus Lupin had also told his brother about the rather unpleasant events two years ago while he had been the resident DADA teacher at Hogwarts, Severus took the werewolf's hand cautiously and shook it briefly before letting go as quickly as was still polite.

Lily had stepped closer during their conversation and was now looking curiously at him.

"So you know Romy's brother? Oh, you have to tell us about him!" she exclaimed. "All we know of him is from the letters he writes. I'm really curious as to what kind of a person he is." She smiled slightly excited. It felt strangely good to see her so lively.

"But for now, we should proceed to the House. Your Grandma will have my head if I don't bring you soon. And you were already late upon your arrival," Romulus stated firmly.

The red-head rolled her eyes. "Now that's a story for it's own..."

  
  


Chatting merrily, the three made their way to the building Romulus had called the 'House'. Its sudden appearance before them suggested clearly that it was heavily warded. The House was a small mansion that stood right in the midst of a grove of ancient trees. It blended well with the background and looked invitingly and homely. When they entered the yard though, Romulus gently took Severus by the elbow and held him back, while Lily advanced without noticing their staying behind. The Slytherin shot the werewolf a questioning glance.

"She hasn't seen her family for quite a while. We really should grant her some privacy to enjoy her return;" the older man explained.

Severus nodded in understanding, and just as he looked back to his friend, the large, wooden entrance door was flung open and several figures came running towards the red-haired woman. All of them, including Lily, were laughing and shouting in joy, and with all the hugging and dancing around it took him some moments to make out the shapes of three young persons, two very similar looking girls with bright red hair, and a slender boy with a messy dark tuft. The sight made him feel uneasy, but it was nothing compared to the shock that hit him when he saw a tall man with unruly black hair walk to Lily and sweep her up in a smooth motion. He heard her squeal and laugh in delight, and something inside him broke.

'No. That can't be.'

The stranger enclosed her in a tight embrace while the young ones were chattering happily around them.

'No, please. Not again.'

Lily detached herself from the other one and motioned at Romulus and him to come over. The grey-haired man set into motion almost instantly and after a second of hesitation, Severus followed suit. All five of the people standing on the yard were smiling widely, and Lily was beaming with joy, looking so beautiful it made the wizard's heart bleed. The dark-haired stranger, however, wasted no time and addressed Severus as soon as he was in hearing range.

"So you are that mysterious guy Ria found by the brook! You must be quite special indeed, if the Death Eaters are after you like that and Lily goes so far as to leave the wood for you. But I'm forgetting my manners. My name is James, James Alexander McGonagall." He took Severus' hand and shook it heartily, as the former was still trying to put up with the face of his school-time nemesis looking cheerfully up at him. 

'No!'

Oblivious to his reaction, James then gestured towards the children.

"The disheveled one is my son Harry, and the lovely twins are Heather and Holly." 

'NO!'

Severus felt his heart shatter into a million pieces.

"But we should really get inside now, dinner is already waiting for us. Grandma told me to excuse her for today, she had urgent matters to solve and will talk to you tomorrow after lunch. Now shall we?"

"Sure," Lily exclaimed, "I'm starving!"

James looked at her and his bright blue eyes twinkled with mirth. "You always are. I wonder where you put all the food you tend to stuff yourself with."

"Hey," she slapped him lightly on the arm, "that was not nice."

He cast an innocent glance at her. "I never claimed to be a nice guy."

She snorted. "That much is obvious."

Romulus chuckled. "They always do that. Seems to be the way they're showing their affection for each other," he told Severus.

"Romulus!" the pair said in unison.

The werewolf only laughed in amusement, and continuing the friendly bickering, they made their way to the dining-room.

Severus moved along like in trance. His mind was completely blank. Nothing mattered to him anymore. He had lost her. He had found the woman he could love, and he had lost her before he even had a chance with her. 

James McGonagall. She was married. She had children.

He was too late.

His body and mind were cold and numb.

He welcomed it. The pain would come soon enough. He knew it. He had lived through this before.

And he dreaded it.

Spending the rest of the evening in a kind of stupor, he didn't know what he said, ate or did. He didn't care anyway. He was cold inside, ice filling the place within him where the fragile seedling of love had been sprouting not long ago. Time passed in a blur, until one of the twins took him up several flights of stairs and showed him to his room.

He laid down on the bed, still fully clothed, and stared at the ceiling.

He laid there for at least an eternity, but the oblivion he hoped for didn't come.

It was around midnight when the pain set in.

He hurt, but he welcomed it, for it was something to occupy his mind after the long hours he had spent imprisoned in that chaotic, empty void of grief and loneliness which had felt so inhuman. Now his whole body seemed to be on fire, a slow, smoldering pain that was burning away at him from the inside the way the dispassionate ice had chilled him. 

There was no reason to fight ice or fire anymore. Let either or both eat him, he couldn't care. His whole world had collapsed the moment the black-haired stranger had told him his name.

'Lily!' his heart cried. 'Oh Lily, why?'

Blackest despair engulfed him as he realized the full impact of what had happened.

Lily had a family... 

She was married... 

She had children... 

He had lost her... 

He was alone again...

Alone...

'Why do I always loose the people I care for? Why do I always end up alone? Why am I not allowed to love?'

Severus was half-blinded with anguish, with no hope of finding comfort anywhere in this world. There was nothing left for him – nothing.

'I am nothing but a burden to them, now that I can't spy on Voldemort anymore. The students hate me, and they despise my lessons. Lily probably just saved me out of pity, and now she has returned to her own life again. And what do I have to live for?

Nothing.'

His soul ached with desolation and utter hopelessness.

'It's all I deserve. I chose my path long ago. Now I'm bound to follow it to its very end.'

He thought of every mistake he had made, every wrong turn and moaned.

'I deserve to die...' he thought desperately.

'I want to die.'

He felt exhaustion finally claim him and gave in to it.

With any luck, he'd never wake up.

  
  


Naturally, he was to be bitterly disappointed, for the relative peace of sleep abandoned him only too soon.

But upon waking he found the pain had ceased and left anger in its wake.

Hot rage surged through his veins when he recalled the recent events.

'I trusted her! She knew about my past and she had the nerve to _play_ with me! How dare she!'

On purpose, he went through his memories of the past few days, although the sensations they brought up almost cut him into little shreds.

'She accompanied me for her amusement. It was nothing but a game to her. And I fell for it.'

He shook his head at his own idiocy.

'I should have known better. Trust brings nothing but disappointment, opening up to the world nothing but pain.'

His heart still ached with her betrayal.

'But I learned my lesson. I will never, ever let myself get hurt like that!'

And he forced a dispassionate expression on his face and went to get some fresh clothes out of his bag.

'No need to let her see what she has done. What I granted her the opportunity to do to me. But never, ever again!'

  
  


To say Severus was in a bad mood when he had finished his morning routine would have been the understatement of the century. 

He was cold, but furious and had one of his students come across him, the poor child would certainly have died off terror.

The way it was, the first victim of his sarcastic tongue happened to be one of the twins, who came to tell him timidly that breakfast was ready.

He snapped at the poor girl, and rushed past her with billowing black cloak while she stared after him in confusion.

  
  


Breakfast was a tense affair. 

The McGonagalls, save for their Grandmother who was still absent, and the grey-haired werewolf had to put up with loads of nasty remarks, mean jokes, acid comments and snappy responses. Added to that were generous amounts of his trademark sneer, scowls and snarls. The youngsters finally excused themselves sometime half through the meal and fled the menacing wizard's presence. Their retreat lightened Severus' mood by a trifle, so that he started to center his malicious attitude more on his primary aim, Lily. Her obvious confusion and distress, showing clearly by the darkening of her emerald eyes satisfied some cruel sense of pleasure in him and so he completely failed to notice James' bright blue ones had gone ink-blue as well. Romulus just watched them with the eyes of a predator and waited.

At some point, after a particularly biting remark, the black-haired man apparently had enough. Rising from his seat, he shot Severus and Lily an earnest look.

"I think there is a matter between you two that direly needs to be discussed. Romy and I are going to leave you now to do so. I expect things to be settled when Grandma arrives, otherwise I will hand you over to her."

And with a last warning glance at both of them, the two men left the dining-room and closed the door behind them.

Severus growled. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

Lily shook her head in exasperation. "Now would you care to enlighten me what exactly has gotten into you, Severus? You are absolutely insufferable this morning!"

He just sneered at her. "No, I don't care. Not anymore."

Her eyes flashed an angry forest-green. "Severus, you can't expect me to sort things out if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"I don't expect anything from you. I know better now," he said flatly in a cold voice.

"What the hell are you talking about? Did Jamie or Romy say or do anything to you while I wasn't around?" she asked in puzzlement.

"Oh no, precious James and charming Romulus treated me perfectly nice," he snarled.

"Did one of the kids misbehave then?" she demanded cluelessly.

"How could they? They're sweet little McGonagalls, aren't they?" he drawled silkily.

Her gaze darkened further and she seemingly had to put quite an effort into remaining calm.

"Then, pray tell, what _is_ your problem?" she demanded with barely concealed anger.

He looked at her coldly, remotely. "Perhaps I just had enough of playing sympathizer for a woman with a messed up family life."

For several heartbeats, all she would do was look back at him, eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

Then they became deep black with emotional pain. 

Then fury flared.

Smack!

Before he had any chance to react, she had slapped him across the face.

He slowly turned his head back to her and resisted the urge to feel for his cheek.

"Reverting to headless violence when you are incapable of solving problems with words?" he jeered arrogantly.

Her black orbs were glittering dangerously.

"How dare you!" she whispered in rage. "How dare you betray my trust in you in such a poor way?"

"**_I_** betraying **_your_** trust? Now that's rich, coming from you!" he spat furiously.

"I never gave you any reason to believe I did anything other than honor the trust you put in me!" she hissed equally angry.

"Oh yes," he sneered, "you didn't. And I was foolish enough to believe you. But I know my path now, and it leads straight away from this place with all its mysteries and all the lies behind them."

"Then you really are a fool, Severus, to believe you can escape your past by running away from it, yet never leaving the same old paths it set."

Lily's voice had gone all soft and gentle, the tone that he automatically associated with Voldemort's captured his mind and kept his attention centered on her.

"And I am just as big one to believe a path chosen for a second time could lead to a better ending.

I should have known you had nothing in common with your brother when I first saw you, but when Ria went for you, you looked so much like him... 

And I couldn't bear to let Dominick die again. It very nearly broke my heart all those years ago, for as chance would have it, it was me who found what the Death Eaters left of him. The sight of his mangled body is still haunting my dreams sometimes. 

But it was nothing compared to the pain in my soul. His death shattered my whole world into pieces and left me alone to pick them up. If it hadn't been for my family, I would have killed myself back then. But they gave me a purpose. They gave me hope. 

Hope that one day, life may grant me a second chance to follow the path of love again.

But I know better now.

Thank you, Severus Snape, for showing me that love is nothing but a a pathetic dream and that second chances only exist in a child's fairy tale.

I almost started to believe otherwise.

It was confusing at first, finding your brother in so many things you did. The two of you are very much alike, if one knows what to look for. I felt guilty for comparing you to him and was afraid of not being able to see the real you behind my memories. So I tried to get to know you, and I found I liked -not the brother of the man I wanted to marry- but the stranger I had saved. I trusted and told you far more than I ever had someone from outside the wood.

And I decided that it's time to let go off the past, to lay my memories to rest and move on to a new period of life.

I know that's what Dominick would have wanted me to do.

But it seems some things are not meant to be.

For here you are, a living memory of the man I loved, and you are breaking my heart just as he did."

Lily forced her face into a dispassionate mask, cold and remote, and continued in a voice bar of emotion.

"But I won't give you that power over me anymore.

My heart has suffered enough for one lifetime.

When my Grandmother has talked to you, Romulus will take you back to your school and I will see to it personally that you will never return to us.

I will not let myself be hurt like this ever again."

She looked at him coolly and added in a low, flat whisper:

"If you want to leave this House unharmed, I suggest that you watch your tongue, for Jamie and Romy will certainly do more than just watch if you continue to treat my nieces and my nephew the way you did this morning, even though my twin brother granted you the hospitality of our House. And I sure as hell won't hold them back.

I will go now and follow another path. One that keeps me from having to see you ever again in this life. 

Farewell, Severus Snape."

And she turned and walked straight out of the room, never once looking back.

Leaving behind her a thunderstruck, heartsick man.

  
  


"Twin brother?" he moaned hoarsely, the room spinning around him when the meaning of her words hit him. "Oh Merlin! I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life!"

"Well, that much is pretty obvious!" a male voice answered from the shadows behind the door. A tall shape came off the dark patches and resolved itself into the figure of James McGonagall.

"You," he whispered faintly, still in shock, "You are her... twin brother. And the children... are her nephew and her nieces... Oh, what a fool I have been...!"

The other man stopped a few yards away from him and tilted his head to one side, like Lily did so often.

"I won't contradict that. You mistook us for husband and wife, didn't you?" he asked without malice.

Severus tried to glare at him but found he didn't have the emotional energy left, so he settled to leave it at a growl. He failed miserably.

"What do you want, McGonagall?" he finally croaked in defeat.

James shook his head softly. "No, the question is: What do _you_ want, Severus Snape?"

Black eyes narrowed irritatedly. "I don't quite get your meaning."

The bright blue gaze that met his reminded him disconcertingly of his white-haired mentor.

"My sister and I had a long talk last night and it seemed to me she's quite fond of you." His face hardened. "Lily has loved Dominick more than anything else in the world. She very nearly broke apart when he was killed, her duties to our family were all that kept her going. She never let a man become close to her ever since. Until she met you." 

His features softened a bit. "Lily is very dear to me. When my wife died upon giving birth to the twins, it was her who took care of everything and brought me back to sanity again. She showed the miracles of life to me when I was unable to see them on my own. My children love her like a mother." 

He paused, watching his opponent soberly. "I don't want to see her hurt like after your brother's death ever again, and I will go to any lengths to prevent it."

Severus forced his face into a neutral mask. "And how far does all of that concern me?"

"That depends on how far you want to take it." James gazed at him with a very serious expression. "Don't try to fool me, man. I saw the way you looked at her yesterday. You've already set up your path. Now you've got to decide whether you want to follow it or not. But you have to choose soon and be well aware of the consequences. If you plan on ever again hurting her like you did today, you'd better have Romulus take you back as soon as Grandma has talked to you, because otherwise I would see to it myself that you severely regret it."

The Potions Master felt the carefully built walls around his heart shake.

"I would never, ever willingly hurt her again. But the stones are fallen and I can't take back what I said to her before she left," he said beaten.

James' eyes locked with his, looking into his soul like Lily's and Albus' had.

"Do you love her?" he asked.

Severus felt his throat tighten. He freed his gaze and looked down, suddenly utterly exhausted.

"Yes," he whispered barely audible.

Strong hands grabbed him by the shoulders and made him lift his eyes again. They met the determined looking blue ones of Lily's twin.

"Then what the hell are you still doing here, you dolt? Go after her!" he exclaimed heartily.

When the wizard just stared at him dumbfounded, he shoved him around and pointed him at the door.

"Down the stairs, the bronze door at the end of the corridor. It's hard to miss."

The other man still stood rigid with confusion. James sighed.

"What are you waiting for, Severus? Lily won't bite your head off. She's usually rather down after one of her outbursts. And now off with you!"

He gave the black-clad figure a gentle push and Severus finally got into motion. When he arrived at the door though, he turned back to the double of his school-time nemesis.

"James, I... " he began, then hesitated, and the other cut him off warmly.

"It's alright. Back with your brother, I learned that Snapes have their difficulties with expressing certain things. I know what you wanted to say. You're welcome. Just make her happy, okay?"

Severus nodded, relieved and grateful, and turned to leave.

But then he thought better of it. 'Lily is right. It's time to let the past rest in peace, time to start a new period of life, time to do so _now_.'

And he turned back one more time, and, finally letting go, he smiled at the man in front of him, at James, the twin brother of his love, not the stranger who looked like the man he had hated with a passion for the better part of his life.

"Thank you," he said softly, before he left the room for good, the walls that once had surrounded his heart down at last.

  
  


Severus descended the stairs and followed the corridor to its end where a heavy bronze door blocked his way. 

It was covered entirely by beautiful ornamentations which showed all kinds of flowers. Some of them especially drew the viewer's eye to them: A finely crafted Rose bound with a Thistle, a small branch of Salvia together with Sweet William, under them a single Lily blossom and a twig of Fir bound together with an Iris, and beneath those last two, Holly, Heather and a Dandelion. He tenderly traced the delicate lines of the Lily, realizing what he was looking at had to be nothing less than the McGonagalls' family tree.

He spent several moments waiting in front of the door, trying to gather the courage for facing her again. 

'I don't want to loose her, I couldn't bear being without her again, even though I've only known her a mere couple of days. She's already so familiar to me, she just fits in. I have to do this. I have to go see her. That's the only way I can tell her the truth and win her back. Courage, Severus. Believe in yourself. Believe in her. May the stones fall...'

Taking a deep breath, he gripped the handle and opened the door. It swung open surprisingly easy and silent, and gave way to the most amazing view he could imagine. For the door opened to a huge garden, almost a small park.

Lush grass covered the gentle hillside, bright flowers bloomed at carefully chosen spots, and groups of trees expanded their massive branches towards the bewitched ceiling that mirrored the weather outside, just like the one in the Great Hall of Hogwarts did. The most obvious difference to the real climate was the temperature though, for it was agreeably warm in here. 

It took him some time before he spotted Lily at the top of a small hill, kneeling under a group of oaks, but he walked over to her as soon as he had seen her.

When he arrived at the trees, he noticed she had risen and was standing in front of three graves. Engraved on each tombstone besides the usual data was a flower. The one on the left, which seemed to be the oldest, had a thistle on it and read 'James Quigley McGonagall', the middle one showed an iris and the inscription 'Iris Weasley-McGonagall'. The stone on the right, however, belonged to the grave Lily was standing before. The flower on it was an edelweiss, the name read 'Dominick Snape' and a fresh white rose was lying on the dark earth.

Severus stepped closer, but Lily didn't turn and kept her head bent, so that the dark auburn curls hid her face.

"Lily?" he called very softly. "Lily, I made a fatal mistake. I wanted to tell you I am very sorry."

When she didn't move or otherwise showed she had heard him, he closed the remaining distance between them with a smooth step, gently took her chin in his hand and turned her face in his direction. So she had no other chance but to look up to him. Her eyes were still dark and haunted, deep pain evident in their depths, her cheeks were moist and he could see the traces of tears on them. She looked so frail and broken that all doubts he might still have had vanished at once.

"Oh Lily," he whispered, "you were so right and yet so wrong.

I really was a fool to hold on to the past, to try and make the old, worn paths lead into my future.

But all they lead me to was to believe that the woman I love now was married to the man who looks like the husband of the love I lost.

You are so much like her, your eyes, your hair, the way you pose in certain situations.

I was blinded by my memories, and I failed to accept that you are a unique person of your own.

But what just happened, the things you told me finally opened my eyes to the truth.

I never wanted to hurt you, but I couldn't bear to loose you.

You have changed my world, you have changed me, and though I was afraid of it at first, I realize now that this is exactly how I want it to be.

Opening up to the world, learning to trust again, it may be risky, but it's what makes life worth living.

They say if you don't hurt, you don't love, and I believe they are right."

He paused, searching for the words to tell her what he felt.

"Lily, you said it was time to leave the past behind and start into new period of life and I agree with you on that.

Before us, I can see a fresh path unwinding."

His voice became a deep, velvety whisper, and it took him a lot of bravery to follow the ambitions of his heart.

"I love you, Lily McGonagall. I love you for being who you are. 

And my heart tells me that life is granting both of us a second chance at this very moment.

Would you help me to make my pathetic dream come true?

Are you willing to join me on my way into the great fairy tale called future?"

She gazed up at him with eyes full of fear, but also of hope and wonder. Then she closed them briefly and when she opened them again, her whole soul seemed to shine at him from those emerald depths.

"Yes," she whispered shaken, but firmly. 

"Yes I will. I don't know if it's wise, but I know that I love you, Severus Snape. 

Neither of us will ever forget what happened today, and we have hopefully learned our lesson.

From this day on, there shall be no more secrets or hidden feelings between us, only the truth.

Can you abide by that?"

He smiled warmly at her and cupped her face gently in his hand.

"Sure as hell I can."

His answer lit up her face, too. Her brilliant green eyes started to twinkle and her smile was so angelic and filled with joy, love and confidence that Severus thought his heart was going to burst with emotion.

Instead, he inclined his head towards hers with deliberate slowness while at the same time she raised her face, and their lips met in a first kiss that sealed the path they had chosen.

It stayed chaste at first, but soon became more passionate as both of them managed to overcome the initial shyness that had taken possession of them in the beginning. When they finally broke apart, they were breathless and happier than ever before in their life. Severus caressed Lily's cheek tenderly and she leaned into his touch, then put her arms around his neck and snuggled close to him. They remained in that position for some time and simply enjoyed the feeling of holding and being close to each other. 

In an unspoken agreement, they eventually detached themselves slightly and started walking down the hill towards the exit, still as close together as they could manage. Their hearts sang with joy, and their souls, now lightened from the burdens they had to bear, relished in the ease their love had bestowed upon them.

  
  


And they left the Garden, side by side, hands tenderly entwined.

Neither of them looked back when the heavy bronze door closed behind them.

But had one of them done so, he or she would have seen that the ornamentations on it had changed.

For bound together with the lily blossom was now a single fern leaf.

Bound by love, yet free at last.

  
  


  
  


^^^^^^^^^^

  
  


A/N:

Merlin, what a mess to write!!!

You are now looking at the rough version of this chapter. I plan to revise it sometime on Sunday, but for now I'm too tired to do so. Please be patient with my mistakes, with a bit of luck I'm going to have a beta-reader from the next chappy on.

I sincerely hope that you will bear with me through the next two chapters, where we will see more of our OCs and get to know them better. They are distinctly more original than it may seem at this point, but I wanted to center this chapter mainly on Lily and Severus.

  
  


Nice big cookies to **Sage and Snape** and **LilyEvansPotter** who both guessed rightly that Dominick had been Lily's fiancé!

To put it in Dumbledore's words: 'Well done!' *grins*

  
  


Now since I used so many flowers with symbolical meanings, I made a short list for you so that you can look them up without great effort.

  
  


Rose (red) – Love, Desire, Respect, Courage, Job well done

Thistle - Austerity, Sternness

Salvia – Untiring Energy

Sweet William – Gallantry, Finesse and Perfection

Lily – Majestic Beauty

Edelweiss – Daring and Noble Courage

Fern – Sincerity, Magic, Fascination, Confidence, Shelter

Iris – Faith, Wisdom, Valor

Fir – Time and Evaluation

Heather – Protection from Danger, Wishes will come True

Holly – Foresight, Defense, Domestic Happiness

Dandelion – Oracle of Time and Love, Faithfulness, Happiness

  
  


Things won't get much easier for our lovebirds in the next chapter, though now at least they have each other for comfort.

Severus will see more of some family members, he and Lily will have their conversation with Grandma Rose and something terrible is about to happen.

More soon.

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  


  
  


  
  



	18. This will never be forgotten!

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


Chapter 16: This will never be forgotten.

  
  


When Lily and Severus came up the stairs, nobody seemed to be around. Severus rose a brow at his lovely partner.

"I didn't realize I was that intimidating," he stated dryly and couldn't help but smile when Lily chuckled merrily, her green eyes twinkling brightly.

"In fact, you were, but I think they merely wanted to grant us some privacy. If I know our family right, they're outside right now and visit the horses," she answered, linking arms with him while steering him to a large wooden door that lead outside.

Severus felt his heart warming once more. 'Our family'. He couldn't believe he had a family to belong to again, after only ever belonging with Dominick. But then he had yet to righten matters with the others, he had really treated them very badly and the least he owed them was an apology. He could just hope they would accept it and could forgive him.

"A Knut for your thoughts," Lily's sweet voice leaked into his thoughts, rich and warm like honey, as they left the House and went outside.

"I just wondered how I could make up to the others for being a complete bastard this morning," he replied truthfully.

She squeezed his arm lovingly. "Don't worry, love. I wouldn't be surprised if Jamie had already explained everything to them."

He nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. Not wanting to earn the praise for someone else's work, he had naturally told her what her brother had done for them. Knowing her twin, she hadn't been surprised at all.

Snow was sparkling in the bright sunlight and the forest around them looked like some winter wonderland as they followed a small path through the trees. Soon laughing and chatter could be heard, and Severus cast the redhead at his side a questioning glance.

"We have a truce with most of the creatures in the area, so that they protect us and we them, along with providing them with things they can't get for themselves, you know, healing potions and stuff like that. Consequently we don't need to watch out close by the House and can just relax and be ourselves," she answered his unspoken question.

They passed through a group of firs, and found themselves on a wide clearing. A flock of the furry, sturdy horses that clearly belonged to the same kind as Goa and Saga was spread over the place, some of them resting, others guarding, and a bunch of them playing with the three adolescents, while the two human adults and several equine ones were watching in amusement. Severus didn't know their game, but it seemed to involve several snowballs, much running and hiding and a whole lot of fun. Two of the adult horses looked up as they approached the group, and Severus recognized the mares that had accompanied them so far on their way through the wood. They separated from the rest of the gathered equines and came forward to greet them. Saga whinnied warmly and even Goa growled friendly, both nuzzling their hands amiably. They were still occupied with the mares when a mental 'whoop' of joy sounded and two familiar fire-balls zoomed around them in excitement.

~You back!~ Ardent's tiny voice exclaimed happily.

~You well!~ Glimmer, his female counterpart could be heard.

The two Fire-Fays swirled merrily around them both, until Ardent bustled into Severus' hair and settled in the soft black shoulder-length tresses.

~Missed you, Sev,~ the male Fay sighed contentedly, ~ is fun, talking to you.~

Slightly embarrassed, the Potions Master mumbled something incomprehensible, but didn't object to the small humanoid staying where he was. Lily just smiled, let Glimmer settle in the long curls cascading over her shoulders and resumed their walk to her brother and their werewolf friend. James grinned broadly at the pair, looking quite smug, and Romulus bore a look of approval that made him seem more human. His yellow eyes gleamed golden in the sunlight as he rolled them at the two.

"Humans! I wonder how that race always manages to survive, despite all those misunderstandings and troubles concerning the courting rituals. I knew it when I first saw you two together that you were destined for each other," he growled friendly.

"Maybe, but you have the advantage of your keen senses over us poor mortals, oh mighty lord werewolf," Lily retorted heartily.

Romy's eyes twinkled and he patted her generously on the head. "It's never too late to learn, my dear child," he said magnanimously. 

Lily snorted, and released a heap of snow by heating a branch of the tree they were standing beneath with magic. It fell neatly on her target, while the Fays squeaked and hurried out of range to avoid any regrettable accidents.

"If you say that, who am I to contradict you?" she replied meekly, before she couldn't suppress the laughter any longer at the sight of her friend, glancing at her with faint surprise from under a cap of snow.

Romy just quirked an eyebrow at her. "What are you laughing at, girl? Never seen a werewolf take a snow-shower in the midst of winter?"

That sufficed to let James and Severus break into laughter as well, and Romy promptly joined them, dusting the snow off himself and throwing some handfuls at each of them for revenge. Just then, a well-aimed snowball hit James in the shoulder and spluttered all of them with snow. Upon turning around, they could see three mischievous faces beam at them, before James yelled a battle-cry, grabbed some snow, and launched into a counter-attack, the remaining adults following him suit, Severus hesitating only for a brief moment. The youngsters squealed, and hurried away into different directions, hiding between their four-legged partners in crime. Soon, a hilarious battle was ensued and even the stern Potions Master had to admit that he thoroughly enjoyed himself. The kids worked together in a way that would have made every Slytherin proud, and were in addition aided by the horses, while the adults were pretty much without a tactic until Severus took matters into his hands. In the end, both parties were exhausted, but happy and a truce was called. Saying their goodbyes to the horses, they set to return to the House, soaking wet, tired, but very content. 

When all of them had showered and changed into dry clothes, they met again in the living-room and gathered comfortably in front of a homely fire with hot chocolate, still steaming, waiting in mugs on a small table between them. Severus sat in a very large armchair, Lily in his arms who softly leaned back into him utterly relaxed. Two smaller armchairs were occupied by James and Romulus, while the young ones were sprawled on a big sofa with many soft-looking cushions.

Severus sighed in contentment and a kind of pleasant defeat, and Lily, sensing what he was about to do, squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"I think I owe all of you an apology," he said softly, "I've been a mean git at breakfast and... I'm sorry."

This said, he heaved another sigh and leaned his chin on Lily's hair when she snuggled closer to him.

Romulus snorted. "Damn right to be, ShadowBoy," he growled. "But by now, we all know that it was due to special circumstances, so you are forgiven. But next time something like that occurs, you better just go and talk to the person who offended you as soon as possible, okay? We wouldn't want any regrettable accidents to happen, with all us werewolves around. We tend to bite people when they upset those we care for, you know?" But he smiled when he said that, and winked at him good-naturedly. 

"I think I got your meaning, my friend," the Slytherin retorted wryly, but also had a faint smile on his face. Then he looked at the amber-eyed man inquiringly.

"You seem to be astonishingly at ease with being a werewolf. I don't think I recall any other of your kind ever displaying such a peace with their condition."

Romulus leaned back in his armchair lazily. "Being at peace is the result of accepting yourself the way you are. And to accept yourself, you have to know yourself. Most of us don't. They are unable to get to know both sides of their nature because they are afraid of the wolf. And as long as they can't accept the wolfish part of their soul, they can never be at ease with what they are."

"And you accepted what you are," Severus commented.

The werewolf grinned at him slyly. "It seems so, doesn't it?" he replied. "But then, it was never as hard for me as it was for others. Being accepted by those you care for helps a lot. The Draught we developed did the rest."

"You have mentioned this 'Draught' before. Just what is it? And what are its effects?" 

"That, you better ask those who created it," Romulus answered, gesturing towards the assembled McGonagalls.

Severus looked down at Lily, eager to learn more about the potion. But she just yawned and nestled closer against him. Her brother chuckled at the sight.

"Well, it seems our FireChild is too exhausted for scientific discussions at the moment." He looked over at the youngsters, who tried to conceal their excitement, but didn't quite succeed. Putting on a stern expression, he said: "Since it is the three of you who are responsible for her weariness, it will also be at you to answer the Potions Master's questions." Their eyes started to sparkle at that, and James resumed his smile. "And since it was Holly's idea to begin with, I suggest that you start with the explanation."

The twin in question nodded and turned to meet his inquiring gaze. She was quite a pretty girl, and with the long hair a few shades darker than the average Weasley's in addition to her startling blue eyes, she promised to grow into a beautiful woman one day. Said eyes, bright with intelligence and filled with respect, met his fearlessly as she launched into her answer.

"As you know, Sir, almost all of the research done on the cure of lycantrophy has been aimed at suppressing the animal nature, 'keeping the beast at bay' so to speak. Those potions made the werewolves weary and tired, because the struggle of their two natures wore them out. Your Wolfsbane Potion was the first that didn't interfere with the transformation, but instead strengthened the human mind enough to retain sanity during the process, which was a distinct improvement." 

Admiration flashed through her glance before she continued. "But it was still no solution to the problem. So we got the idea of trying a completely different approach. The concept behind the Draught of the Full Moon is based on what Romulus just told you. A werewolf goes into rage when he transforms because the human mind abhors the beastly nature and fights violently against everything associated with it. Now we wondered if that could be helped by somehow combining the two. And that's what the potion does. It merges the mind of the wolf with that of the human."

Severus felt his eyes widen. "It does what?!" he exclaimed.

Holly looked over to her twin, who neatly took over.

"It makes the instincts and thought processes of the wolf fuse with the higher cognitive capacities of the human. The result is a werewolf who has the benefit of a wolf's keen senses and sharp instincts as well as a human's intellect all the time. Some features of the wolf-shape manifest also in the human form, such as the canines and the eyes for example, while the hair colour changes to match the fur colour in wolf form. Once solidly merged, the mind stays the same in both forms," Heather told him with a touch of pride at their achievements. 

"Until that happens, the Draught has to be taken every day, then once a month," their brother resumed the explanation. "We used mostly ingredients that balanced the two fighting natures, combined with fusing and mending essences we took over from healing potions." 

He then started to elaborate on the ingredients and the making of the Draught, together with the two girls who occasionally added the one or other comment.

Severus watched them in carefully concealed awe. Hearing the boy, who resembled Harry Potter so strongly that, if given a pair of glasses and the famous scar he could pass for the Boy-Who-Lived any time, talk so animatedly about Potions, was very strange. But he had to admit that the youngsters knew their stuff and more. As he joined in the discussion, he quickly discovered they were easily OWL-level, probably even further. And to his surprise he found he enjoyed the conversation, for all three had sharp minds and were quick thinkers, thus coming up with quite interesting and creative ideas. The twins turned out to have quite different personalities. Holly, being the more subtle one, chose her words well and tactical, while Heather was more on the open, forward side, though she, too, considered well what she said. Harry, however, let the girls do most of the talking, just now and then adding his own opinion in a calm and gentle way. But whatever he said was well thought trough, and the Slytherin had to admit he liked the quiet boy and his two sisters, and he wondered what it would be like to have them at Hogwarts.

James and Romulus had finally joined their conversation when it turned from potions to other topics. As the werewolf leaned towards them, the light of the fire caught on the strange pearly gemstone at Romulus' throat and Severus remembered that he still didn't know about the function of it.

"That is a peculiar pendant you have there, Romulus. I think I saw a similar one with Ria. Does it have something to do with her being able to assume wolf form when there was no full moon?" he asked.

The grey-haired man nodded and reached up to touch the stone tenderly. "Yes, it does. James and Grandma Rose created a charm that is able to bind the light of the full moon into a carefully chosen and specially treated moonstone. This way we are able to transform whenever we wish. And since it is no longer bound to the pain and horror it has been before, we can use our wolf form like an Animagus his animal form. We have to charge the stone regularly, but that poses no problem."

Severus eyed the others with respect. "So you succeeded in taking the edge out of what people consider a curse and making a weakness into a strength. That is most remarkable. You have my deepest regards."

The three youngsters blushed slightly at the compliment, and James and Lily smiled happily.

"The werewolves are our friends. Knowing we could help them is the best praise we could wish for," Harry said in a soft voice.

Silence followed his words, as everyone of them hang after his own thoughts for some moments. Then one of the twins, Heather, glanced at Severus and her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Sir? Dad told us you are a Potions Master at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Would you mind telling us a bit about the school?" she asked shyly, but with great interest.

The Slytherin eyed the siblings and saw the same expression on their faces.

"Why not?" he replied, "What do you want to know?"

That served to let loose a whole avalanche of questions, and soon all of them were deeply engaged in conversation again. Completely oblivious to the amount of time that passed, they only then fell silent when an eerie trill interrupted their talk. Severus started at the voice that clearly belonged to a phoenix and looked questioningly down at his love who straightened at once.

"That's Jeanne!" she exclaimed in joy, and just as she raised her arm, a beautiful fire-coloured phoenix swooped into the room and down on her hand.

The magnificent bird chirped happily, and turned her glittering dark eyes to look over the redhead's shoulder at the dark-haired man.

Lily stroked the bird tenderly. "Severus, that's Jeanne, she's Grandma's familiar. Jeanne, that's Severus Snape, the love of my heart."

Sweet warmth spread through his body upon hearing her call him that and he squeezed the hand of her that he still held lovingly as he nodded at the phoenix. Jeanne crooned what he assumed was a 'hello' at him and continued to enjoy Lily's caresses.

"That means Grandma..." James started, but was cut of by a warm, female voice.

"... is back. That's right, my dear."

All of them turned to the entrance, where a tall, silver-haired lady passed through the door and made her way towards them. Lily sprang out of the armchair and ran to enclose the old woman in a hearty embrace.

"Oh Grandma, it's so good to see you again!"

"My dear child, you know I'm always with you, even when you can't see me," her grandmother replied warmly.

The redhead let her go, just to be replaced by the three adolescents, who had hurried over to hug the elderly witch with equal enthusiasm. After her family was finished with greeting their Grandma, she let her gaze rest on Severus, who by now stood as well with Lily at his side.

"Grandma, this is..." she began, but once again, the older woman took over the sentence.

"... the person you chose to bring with you from Hogwarts, I know. It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Severus Snape, I'm Grandma Rose. Your brother spoke of you quite often, he held you very dear. It brings great joy to my heart to see life granted Lily and you a second chance and you were wise enough to take it. Welcome to our family, my dear boy."

The silver-haired witch stepped forward to enclose him in a welcoming embrace and for the first time he could see her features clearly in the firelight. Shock made him stiffen and his eyes go round, and Rose chuckled warmly, when she pulled back and saw the expression on his face.

"You.. you...," was all he managed to stammer.

She chuckled again. "My dear, no need to look so terrified. One could think I look like Voldemort himself."

"Quite on the contrary," he finally choked.

The woman in front of him was old. Long silver hair streamed down to her waist, and wise cerulean eyes twinkled brightly at him. But that was not what had disconcerted him so much. He was looking into the face of a carbon copy of Albus Dumbledore. Granted, her nose was straight and her eyes had a slightly different colour, but the rest of her features were just like those of his old mentor and friend.

Rose twinkled at him a moment longer, before she finally took pity on him.

"To answer your unspoken question, yes, I'm related to Albus and no, he didn't know about it when he let you accompany my granddaughter. As to all the other questions you and Lily undoubtedly have, I suggest we all move over to the dining-room and have lunch, and after that the three of us go down into The Garden for a walk and you will get your answers. Is that agreeable with you, my dear boy?"

Severus swallowed, but had regained his composure by now.

"Sure, that's fine by me," he replied calmly.

"Excellent," Rose beamed at him, "Come along then, all of you."

Lily slid under his arm, and keeping her close to him, he followed the old witch into the dining-room along with the rest of the family.

  
  


He would never forget that meal he had with Lily and the other McGonagalls, and that was not due to Rose's excellent cooking. No, what made lunch so special was the company. All of them were chattering merrily, teasing, laughing, bickering, and they enclosed him in their talk. They truly made him feel like he belonged here, like he was part of this family, a feeling only Hogwarts had ever come close to. For him, who had never had anyone care about him other than Dominick, Lily and Albus, it was almost overwhelming.

Rose for her part was every bit as magnificent as Albus, down to the twinkle in her eyes and the way she seemed to look right into your soul, as well as the genial mind she displayed throughout the conversation. What set her apart from his mentor were the wise, yet sometimes totally enigmatic remarks she used to throw in from time to time, but he could always sense some kind of deeper meaning to her words when she did this, and it made his respect for her only increase. And she really was a very dear old lady, full of the same fire that filled her granddaughter, determined and energetic. He found he really liked her.

Most of the talking done during the meal was idle chat, and the twins explaining the family's naming tradition to him. As they told him, every girl was named after a flower, chosen to try and best symbolize their personality, while every boy was called James and granted with a more or less suitable middle-name, so Harry was in fact James Harold McGonagall. Since the older James had never ceased to be called Jamie, the family had taken to call the younger one by his middle-name, Harry. They also confirmed his suspicion that the ornamentations on the bronze door represented their family tree and the twins were more than willing to provide him with further information on the different flowers' symbolic meanings. Again, time passed fast, and soon they rose from the table with Lily and Severus following Rose down to The Garden.

The sun stood high in the enchanted ceiling, and it was pleasantly warm. In silence they passed the first hills, and Severus found himself being led to a small lake with three benches at its shore. Rose gestured at them to take a seat at one, while sitting down at another one that formed a right angle with the first. Once they were all comfortably seated, the silver-haired witch spoke up.

"Ask your questions, my children, and I will see what answers I'm able provide you with," she said gently.

"Well," Severus began," perhaps you could start by telling us who you really are. A daughter of Albus maybe?"

Rose gazed warmly upon him and chuckled in amusement. "Oh Lily, that's a sweet one you chose. Daughter, indeed..." She shook her head softly. "No, my dear, I'm not Albus' daughter, though your compliment warms my old heart. I'm his sister, Aurora Dumbledore."

The Potions Master felt his eyes widen once again. "But that can't be. Aurora Dumbledore is presumed dead..." he exclaimed, slightly shocked.

"As is Romulus Lupin. As are the others who run with the pack or reside in several small villages throughout the forest. I believe you just discovered one of the Secrets of the DarkWood," she told him calmly.

"But how... and why...?" he asked faintly.

"You see, Slytherin was not the only one to pass unique abilities onto his descendants. Although it is nothing near common knowledge, Godric Gryffindor had a certain gift of his own, which happened to breed true in every single of his children to a different extent. And believe me, he had quite a few of them, thus the gift spread so wide that today it is almost impossible to trace it back to him except for some very old families, of which the Dumbledores happen to be one."

"We are descendants of Godric Gryffindor?" Lily asked in awe, while Severus took in the information and inquired: "And what is this gift of yours about?"

Rose smiled benignly at him. "Have you ever wondered how Albus always seems to know about everything that's going on?" At his nod, she continued. "Our gift grants us awareness of events happening at a certain time window. Albus 'knows' about the present. I, on the other hand, am aware of the future."

"So this is where my dreams and presentiments come from! And Jamie, his gift is about the past, isn't it?" her granddaughter exclaimed in surprise. "But why didn't you tell us?"

The older woman eyed Lily with love and a kind of... regret. "Knowing about the future is a heavy burden, my FireChild, and as nearly every manifestation of this gift works slightly different, every one of us has to learn to deal with it on their own. While your gift gives you dreams about what is going to happen, along with an improved sense of intuition, mine gives me an insight about how things will develop according to current events. To put it another way, your Sight shows you how stones are going to fall in the near future, or situations where some kind of a crossing is reached and alternative paths can be taken. It tells you when something is important or dangerous. My version of Sight shows me the course the stones will take from the present circumstances, so the view changes from second to second as the future is always in motion."

"That... is a most disconcerting ability. Great, but terrible," Severus stated calmly.

"That it is. But many years ago, even before James and Albus succeeded in defeating Grindelwald, it showed me how another Dark Lord would rise, more powerful and evil than the one we were fighting at that time, and almost impossible to defeat. So I took it upon myself to arrange things in a way that would render his ultimate downfall possible. This forest, with all its inhabitants, is one of the precautions I made."

"But why did you never tell me?" Lily repeated, clearly upset with what she had been told, "Why did you never tell me I was a witch and made me think I had nearly no magical abilities at all? Why did you keep me away from Hogwarts? What was all of that good for?"

"Oh my dear child, I never intended to hurt you," Rose said empathetically, taking her granddaughter's hands in her own and pressing them in a loving gesture. "It was absolutely necessary to protect you and your brother. Your father... he had been very close to Voldemort, but he failed to see him for what he really was, a spirit evil to the core. Salvia always tried to show him, to make him understand, but when he finally did, it was too late and he was betrayed and murdered by the Dark Lord. Your mother hadn't told her husband about her pregnancy yet, so Voldemort didn't know about it either. If he had, he surely would have been after you, and would have killed you along with her. Hiding you here, out of his reach, was the only possibility of keeping you safe."

She paused and, sitting back again, let go of Lily's hands. "As for the magic... I never really said you had no magic, I just... didn't encourage you trying it out for a very simple reason: We would have needed wands to do that. And there was no chance of us ever leaving the wood, much less going to Diagon Alley." 

She held up a hand when her granddaughter opened her mouth to protest. "I know what you want to say, what about wandless magic? Think about it, child. You know now how much control and discipline is needed to perform this kind of magic. We both know the others didn't give you that nickname without a reason. You have inherited much of your father's and grandfather's temper, and you really are every bit a Child of the Fire. By now, you have cooled down a bit, but can you imagine what could have happened would you have been able to use magic when you were younger? Considering your affection to that element, your temper would most certainly not have been the only thing to flare up when you were angered. Thus I taught all of you the things I could, so that all you would need to catch on would be the practice."

Lily's eyes darkened with surprise. "How do you know about the lessons Professor Dumbledore gave us?"

Rose chuckled again, a warm, rich sound. "You forgot that it is my brother we're talking about, my dear. Of course I had a fairly good idea what he would do once you were at Hogwarts. So your Animagus form is a phoenix? Jeanne is going to be quite proud of you."

The redhead grinned at the thought, but it quickly turned into a slight frown. "Grandma, how can this be? I mean, I never heard of an Animagus whose form is a magical beast before," she demanded.

"That stems from your father's side, in his line there have been some Animagi who took on those unusual forms, though it is a rare feature and may manifest not in every generation. Alas, your brother and you have so many Transfiguration-talented ancestors that it's no wonder one of you happens to be a Fantastic Beast Animagus. Would you show your form to your old grandmother then?" she requested.

"Sure," replied Lily and changed. Next to Severus sat the beautiful phoenix and chirped before taking off and soaring through The Garden. Her flight was full of freedom, and a heartfelt joy, and the dark-haired man never took his eyes from her until she returned and settled on the elderly witch's arm. Rose's eyes sparkled with love and pride and she nodded at her grandchild approvingly.

"Jeanne will indeed be very proud of you. As am I." She paused, the expression on her face turning very gently. "As your mother would be."

Emerald eyes glittered with emotion, and changing back in an instant, Lily hugged her grandmother fiercely. Rose returned the embrace tenderly, and caressed the dark-red curls. Several moments later, they separated, but Rose kept one arm around her granddaughter and Lily leaned into her motherly warmth, just to back away again, fumbling for something in the pockets of her robes.

"Hellfire," she breathed, taking out the envelope Albus had given her, "I almost forgot about the letter with all those recent events." Handing it to Rose, she explained: "Albus wrote it, he said he wanted to ask you to let me come back to Hogwarts."

Her grandmother nodded, not surprised in the least, and broke the seal. She sat silent for a moment after she had finished reading it, and just when Lily was about to say something, she smiled, albeit a bit sad, it seemed.

"I fear these matters will sort themselves in a short time," she told them enigmatically in a soft voice.

Severus just opened his mouth to ask how she had meant that, when all of a sudden a hot pain seared through his left arm, so strong it made him go down on his knees. Clutching his fore-arm, he moaned in agony as his world narrowed to a small patch of consciousness left beside the anguish that flowed in waves through his body. Eternity seemed to burn its way through his mind and wrecked his body on its way through.

But as unexpected as it had come, it was over, and he found himself wrapped tightly in the arms of his love, her hand covering his where it was clutching the Dark Mark branded into his skin. He let himself be soothed for a brief moment, then comprehension washed through him like ice-water.

"Voldemort," he choked, looking up to Rose in terror, "he found a way to activate the Dark Mark!" 

"I know." The older woman just nodded and crouched down beside him. "Keep still for a moment," she said, pulling a wand out of the sleeve of her robe. Pointing it at the spot where their hands lay over the Mark, she quietly said: " Prodico Coniunctio."

A tingle went through his arm, but it was not unpleasant, just peculiar.

Rose straightened up. "You can remove your hands now, children. Voldemort won't be able to reach you again, my dear boy."

Reluctantly, both let go of his arm and helping him stand, Lily snuggled closely against him. Enclosing her in his arms firmly, he looked at the silver-haired witch and asked: "What did you do?"

Before Rose could answer, however, a wave seemed to go through the building, and was shaken like by an earthquake.

The old witch looked up to the ceiling. "No time for answers anymore, I'm afraid, my boy. Voldemort tries to breach the wards. Once he has succeeded, he will be able to apparate into the house." 

She held the envelope from Albus up and turned it head down, which made two brass keys fall out of it onto her hand. Then she looked at the pair standing in front of her, desperately clinging to each other.

"Don't worry, my children, he won't get you. Albus sent these two Portkeys along with the letter, they will take you straight to Hogsmeade. We better go up to the others and tell them."

And with this said, she hurried to the exit of The Garden, leaving them to rush after her. The three of them had just climbed the stairs, when a second wave struck the house, making the walls rattle violently. The rest of the family was already on the corridor, calm, but clearly distressed.

"Grandma, the wards...!" Jamie started, only to be cut of by Rose.

"... won't hold any longer than ten minutes, I know. Now go and get the stuff you packed, and hurry. Romulus, my dear, you know what you have to do?"

The werewolf nodded. "I'll go and warn the pack. I take it you already alarmed the villagers?"

"Indeed, I did. Go, my dear boy, and run as fast as you can. I want you to be a good longitude away when those Death Eaters arrive here. No stops, no fighting, did I make myself clear?" she told him sternly.

"Crystal-clear, Grandma," he replied and she smiled and hugged him cordially.

"Then off with you. And remember: Some things always change and some things always stay the same. Be careful, my dear."

He hugged her back warmly, then pulled back and smiled. "I will," was all he said, before he bade farewell to the others and took off.

Rose looked around and raised a silver eyebrow. "Well, what are you waiting for? Voldemort? Go get your things. Lily, my dear, I took the liberty of packing for you, the bags are shrunken and lie on your bed."

The young woman just nodded with wide eyes, disentangled herself from her partner and rushed off with the rest of her family.

Severus looked at Rose, shaking his head in wonder. "You knew this would happen."

"Yes," she replied matter-of-factly, before another quake made the walls groan around them.

"And yet you let me come, although you knew he would use me to get through the wards," he stated quietly.

The elderly witch stepped nearer and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, my dear. Some things are just necessary. Believe me, you know I see where they lead. This was my choice, and I take the full responsibility for it."

A series of shocks ran through the building, followed by several noisy explosions. Rose looked down the stairs in direction of The Garden, but said nothing. 

Before Severus could ask anything though, the youngsters came racing back, closely followed by Lily and James.

"We're ready, Grandma," Heather panted and the others nodded their affirmations.

Rose smiled sweetly upon them. "Excellent, my beloved children. Now take the Portkeys, go outside and wait for me there, will you? I want to do some spells to bid Voldemort a nice welcome and I can't do that while anyone is still inside."

Another explosion shook the house and James looked at his grandmother with concern in his cerulean eyes. "But Grandma, we have... "

"... still enough time for that. Trust me, my dear boy." She pulled first the three adolescents, then the adult twins, and last Severus into a heartfelt embrace. "Don't worry, everything will work out for the best. Just remember that I can never be truly separated from any of you. There may be dark times to come, but when the past seems to narrow your path, only recall that stones fallen are best laid to rest in order to gain peace. I love you and I'm very proud of you. Now go!"

Something in her voice kept them from objecting, and when they had cleared their minds from her mysterious words, they found themselves already outside in the yard. Suddenly, the house shook violently, several more explosions roared and the air around them blurred, before it cleared again.

"The wards are down," James stated in a rough voice.

Lily paled. "Grandma!" she cried and prepared to run back to the house, and surprisingly it was Harry who intercepted her before any of the others could move.

"Aunt Lily," he pleaded, "you can't go back there! The Death Eaters are already in The Garden!"

Lily stared at him, shocked. "How do you know?" she whispered.

"He knows about the present like I about the past and you about the future, Lil," James said softly.

The red-haired witch went dead white. "My vision! It's going to happen here, very soon. I have to get Grandma out of there!"

They had no chance to hold her back as she changed into her phoenix form and soared towards the house.

"Damnit!!!" Severus cursed, looking after her retreating form. Then he turned back to the others. "Take one of the Portkeys and go. I will go get them."

"Don't!" Holly said in a calm voice. Severus eyed her questioningly. "My gift works very similar to Grandma's. If you follow her now, all three of you will die."

He quirked an eyebrow at her, trying hard to keep a reign on himself and stay calm. "And what do you suggest instead, young lady?"

"Wait here. You will know when the time has come to go after her. There will be a sign to show you," she answered in the same enigmatic way her grandmother used to.

The Potions Master rolled his eyes. "Absolutely great." Then he sobered up at once. "Do you know what you are asking of me?" he demanded hoarsely.

The girls eyes softened, and at that moment, she looked much older than her years. "Yes, I know," she said very gently. "Please, trust me. Trust her."

He closed his eyes, as if in pain, and opening them again, slowly, hesitantly nodded.

"Then we will go now, and call the Headmaster as soon as we are there," Holly stated firmly and smiled a brief, sad smile at his surprise. "Why should I trust you any less than you trust me?" she asked genially.

Severus shook his head and took one of the Portkeys out of his pocket. James reached for it reluctantly.

"You will take care of her and yourself, won't you?" he demanded in deep concern. "I... we wouldn't want to loose you."

Severus smirked grimly. "Don't worry, James. I will bring her back. Trust me."

The other man smiled at him slightly. "I do. Good luck, ShadowBoy." Turning to his children, he added: "Let's go then," and held out the brass key. The youngster bid him farewell and when he was sure all were touching the magical device, James spoke the word to activate the Portkey. The four of them were gone in an instant and left Severus standing alone in the yard.

  
  


Lily in the meantime was swooping towards The Garden. The bronze door stood ajar, and the noises of fighting came from inside. The Animagus didn't hesitate one moment, pushed the door further open with her magic, and slid past it.

Once inside, a picture like out of a nightmare greeted her. Death Eaters were gathered around one of the hills and formed a circle around two combatants that were fighting on it. Curses flew back and forth, and Lily could make out the figure of her beloved grandmother battling a tall stranger in the typical black robes. When she drew nearer, her keen eyesight showed her that his skin was very pale, and his face not quite human, more like the features of a snake. Just when she thought that, a real snake, and a fairly big one at that, rose out of the high grass behind her Grandma, ready to strike.

'NO!' Lily's mind screamed frantically, and a piercing battle-cry left her throat as she made a dive for the reptile, her sudden appearance and sharp talons catching it completely by surprise. Carrying it high with her in a death-grip for a few moments, she let it dump onto a rock across The Garden, hoping it would break its ugly neck. Then she turned back to the fight, preparing to go for the Dark Lord himself. His followers, however, seemed to have other plans, and soon all she could do was dodge the curses thrown at her.

'Grandma! Hold on! I'm coming!' she thought desperately, rushing towards the two figures despite the Death Eaters' attempts to prevent her from it. 

As if the old witch had somehow heard her, she looked up for a brief moment, and their eyes met as she swooped down on the dark wizard. Voldemort ducked just in time to avoid her claws and was distracted for a second. That second was enough. Rose smiled then, and looking back to her opponent, she raised her wand in a fluid mock salute, before she pointed it at him. "Separo Animae!" she shouted.

Power erupted from the tip of her wand, and a bright light scorched towards Voldemort, hitting him square in the face and surrounding him. Rose's legs gave way under her as the spell drained her of her power and she fell on her knees. Lily screamed another battle-cry and soared high above the stunned Death Eaters. 

But terror clenched her heart in an ice-cold grip as she saw the Dark Lord not fall, but rise, the light dissipating around his head as he shook it. Before she could react, he had aimed his wand at the silver-haired woman. "Avada Kedavra!" he said triumphantly and the green flash left his wand and hit Rose in the chest. She was still smiling as she sank down, an expression of peace on her face.

'NOOO!' what began as the scream of a phoenix changed into the cry of a human, when the bird landed in the circle of Death Eaters and transformed into a woman.

"GRANDMA!!! NOOO!!!" Lily yelled in despair.

Red eyes with slitted pupils turned their terrible gaze at her as the Dark Lord became aware of her presence when the young witch rushed through the circle and sank down on her knees at the side of her fallen grandmother. She touched the old face, reluctantly, gently and then looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"No," she said in disbelief.

The snake-like man hesitated one moment, then took one step towards her.

"NO!" she screamed in anguish and the world burst into flames.

  
  


Out in the yard, a phoenix screamed in deep pain, as she soared above a very distressed Severus towards the house. For one moment, his heart leaped in hope, but the fiery colour identified the bird clearly as Jeanne. Nonetheless, it had to be the sign he had been waiting for, so he quickly changed into his panther form and followed her.

  
  


The fire had heard Lily's call, and came to life in answer to it. All around the three figures, men were shouting and screaming in pain as the flames threatened to eat them alive. She remained oblivious to it, emerald gaze still locked with the scarlet one of Voldemort, full of pain and fury, until the shadow of a phoenix, followed by another tall, dark form approached them.

"LILY!" Severus shouted, shielding his face against the heat with one arm, while Jeanne trilled a piercing sound.

That finally sufficed to shake the woman out of her daze and the fire quickly backed away from the body of the man she loved and the bird on his shoulder.

"Lily!"

He was right beside her in an instant, hauling her up gently, the Portkey in his other hand, the bird on his arm.

Hesitating one moment, she looked back into the pale face of the Dark Lord before she touched the magical device.

"This," she told him in a cold voice, "will never be forgotten."

Then her fingers made contact with the cool brass, and the familiar tug behind her navel sucked her into a whirlwind of colours.

  
  


Voldemort stared at the spot where one moment ago the red-haired witch and his formerly most loyal Death Eater had been standing.

They were gone. 

That didn't matter. There would be other times, other encounters. He could wait.

But something stirred faintly inside his mind. 

A memory, long forgotten. Another life...

"Salvia," he whispered to the flames, "she must be Salvia's daughter..."

Shaking his head as if to clear it, he straightened up, raised his wand and apparated out of the burning house.

  
  


***************

A/N:

Hay everyone, I'm back!

And it surely took me long enough, sorry about that.

Well, I've been quite busy at university, as I have to spend more time in the lab this semester and in addition took two courses from next term. But since I've caught a cold, I stayed at home yesterday and was finally able to finish this chapter, so please kindly ignore the mistakes I made. And yes, I know my Latin sucks, I never learned it at school. The spells are meant to say 'Pass the Bond' and 'Separate the Minds/Souls'. Oh, and the 'Some Things Change, Others Don't'-quote is pinched from 'Matrix Reloaded' because I really liked it. *grins* And hey, wait, I think I remember reading from something akin to the Moonstone thingy in one other story, but I can't recall it's name, so if one of you does, please tell me so that I can honor the author. Thanx.

Anyways, I only hope the next chappie will be out sooner, but I'm optimistic about that since I've already written parts of it. It's going to be in a definitely lighter mood later on and will feature some rather funny situations.

Alas, I have to admit that I found the lack of reviews concerning the last chapter a bit unnerving. I put great efforts into that one and you could at least tell me when you don't like the course the story has taken, so that I can consider changing it. But except **LilyEvansPotter**, who did a great job like always (Thank you!!! I sooo love your reviews! *beams happily*), your comments were pretty few. So please tell me if I should go on like this or alter it, okay?

As I plan on splitting the centre of the story into two main parts, one focusing on Lily, Severus, and the other adults, and the other on the McGonagall youngsters and our favourite Hogwarts students, I'd like to post 'Second Chances' with Severus and Harry for main characters. With Lily in fact never really having been Lily Potter and such, it just feels better this way. Any objections?

Next chapter will show how the McGonagalls cope with the recent events, as well as with Hogwarts, and it's inhabitants with them. A long overdue trip to Diagon Alley will be made, the kids will meet the other students and the three of them will be sorted. So stay tuned.

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  


  
  



	19. You re welcome

  


Second Chances

  


  


Chapter 17: You're welcome

  


  


  


It was a sad group of people that was sitting in front of the Headmaster in a homely room adjacent to his office. Tears were still falling free as the McGonagalls mourned the death of their beloved Grandmother. Jeanne was perched on the back of the sofa on which Severus and Lily were seated, bemoaning her old human friend in her own way. The children were clinging to their father in deep emotional pain, though their suffering was a silent one, making them seem older than their years. Lily was holding tightly onto Severus, at least as tightly as she was able to in her semi-conscious state of exhaustion, while the Potions Master filled Albus in on what had happened at the DarkWood. He talked and talked, and his silver-haired friend didn't interrupt him once, just listened attentively to his words. When he was finished, the usual twinkle in Albus' eyes had dimmed, and his expression mirrored the grief on the others' faces. 

  


"Who would have thought... after all these years," he said softly, shaking his head, "... if only she had told me..."

  


Heather looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and said hoarsely: "She wanted to, but after your defeat of Grindelwald, Voldemort was watching you very closely, knowing you were probably the only danger to his rise to power, and then he would have found out about the DarkWood and all would have been in vain."

  


The Headmaster raised one silver eyebrow gently at the girl. "As things are, he has found out now. What makes this situation different?"

  


This time it was Holly who answered. "The time is right," she said simply, meeting the older wizard's gaze calmly.

  


Albus kept their locked eyes for a moment, and the twinkle returned to the blue depths. "Then there is still hope," he stated.

  


"There always is," Harry replied in a low, but firm voice.

  


His siblings nodded in agreement.

  


"Grandma ... has planned all of this. What happened was her choice, not fate or bad luck. We... we have to accept that. It is at us now to do everything within our powers to continue her efforts and put an end to the menace of Voldemort and his followers once and for all," Holly told her family sadly, but with great confidence.

  


James reached for his children and pulled all of them into an even tighter embrace. "And that is exactly what we will do. I am so very proud of you, my cherished little flowers, you are handling this in such an adult manner... Grandma... ," he took a deep, shuddering breath, "Grandma would be very proud of you, too."

  


"But _what_ are we supposed to do?" Lily whispered in a broken voice.

  


Severus kissed her temple very tenderly and continued to stroke her back in soothing circles. "You are staying here, of course. And you will learn how to use your powers, all of you. And when we are ready, we will face the red-eyed bastard, together, and together we will bring him down."

  


Holly flashed him a grim smile. "Congratulations, Professor, you seem to have caught a glimpse of the same that my gift showed me."

  


The Slytherin returned her smile wearily. "I think in consideration of the circumstances we can cease the formalities. You may call me Severus when we're in private. Just don't let my students hear it, okay?"

  


"Yes, Severus. Thank you," was the reply from the three adolescents.

  


"Professor Dumbledore ..." Harry started, but was gently interrupted by the silver-haired wizard.

  


"Please, my dear child, I wholeheartedly agree with Severus that the situation puts us beyond such titles. Call me Uncle Albus, if you will. I may be in fact your grand-uncle, but somehow being constantly reminded of that makes me feel old. But we are of one family, and I'm truly looking forward to getting to know all of you better." He beamed mildly at the family before him, and they returned his smile.

  


"That's the same with us, Uncle Albus. Well, what I wanted to tell you is that Grandma... when she packed Aunt Lily's things, she included a bag containing a letter as well as several items meant for you. It is in the dark green bag," Harry added in direction of his aunts.

  


"Lily," Severus said softly, and the redhead sighed and fumbled for the shrunken bags in her pocket. Pulling one of it, a dark green one, out of it, she handed it to her love wearily and laid her head on his chest in complete exhaustion. The dark-haired man gave the item over to the Headmaster, then leaned back again cuddled her closer, while Fawkes, the phoenix, started to sing a soft, soothing song on his perch behind the old wizard.

  


Albus nodded his thanks, took the bag and enlarged it. In it were a thick envelope, a pensieve and some other things. The letter was addressed to _My dear brother Albus _and had a short note pinned to it that said:

  


'Don't worry, this will make some things much clearer,

but I think it's better for you to read it in private.

So make sure my beloved children are cared for

as they will certainly be very exhausted by now,

and then come back and satisfy your curiosity.

It will take you half of the night anyways.

  


Love,

Aurora'

  


The white-haired wizard smiled sadly, as he realized how his sister managed to arrange affairs even when she was gone. A look at the gathered people, however, only served to confirm the wisdom of her words. They really looked worse for wear, and his face softened.

  


"My dear children," he addressed them gently, "you have been through terrible events today and more than deserve a bit of rest and peace. You are welcome to stay at Hogwarts for as long as you wish. As Severus has said before, you will need to learn much more about your abilities before you can venture out to face Lord Voldemort. But we can talk about all of this after a decent night's sleep."

  


Looking at his Potions Master, he continued: "If I recall correctly, the chambers of your predecessor are still located next door to yours, my dear boy. Knowing the House-Elves, they will have them ready by the time we arrive there."

  


He clapped once, and one of the Hogwarts House-Elves appeared with a 'pop'. 

  


"Iffy is at Headmaster's service, sir," the creature squeaked, bowing politely.

  


"Iffy my dear, " He gestured to the McGonagalls. "This is the McGonagall family. They will be staying here for an infinite time. Would you please see to it that the old Potions Master's Chambers are prepared to house our guests? I'm sure you know how to help them feel themselves at home."

  


Iffy smiled proudly. "Sure, Headmaster, sir. Iffy knows what to do. The chambers will be ready in no time. Does the Headmaster need anything else?"

  


Albus smiled mildly back at the little House-Elf. "No, thank you Iffy, that was all."

  


"Then Iffy sets off to prepare the Chambers, sir." And with another 'pop' the creature disappeared.

  


"Albus," Severus spoke up quietly as a thought struck him, "Mr Potter should be introduced to Lily and the others as soon as possible. If he meets them on his own without being prepared to, it will surely hurt him, considering their strong resemblance to his parents."

  


The Headmaster raised a brow at him in wonder, but his eyes twinkled brightly and an instant later he beamed proudly at the younger wizard.

  


"It is very kind of you to think of Mr Potter's welfare in such difficult circumstances, my dear boy. I will call him first thing tomorrow and introduce them to him before breakfast. We can see then if all of you feel up to joining the rest of the staff and the ten students that stayed over the holidays in the Great Hall or prefer a more private meal in your chambers. For now, I think, we should start our journey to your lodging, before any more of you fall asleep here in my office." He cast an amused glance at Lily, whose even breathing indicated that she was fast asleep in Severus's arms.

  


The Slytherin chuckled warmly, cradled her gently in his arms and rose from his seat, the others following suit. Jeanne hopped onto his shoulder and settled there, strangely light-weight. 

  


Albus accompanied them down to the dungeons, and once he had made sure that the chambers were indeed ready and everything was to their liking, he bade them goodnight and returned to his Office.

  


The McGonagalls, however, were way too tired to examine and appreciate their chambers properly and it was Severus who realized first that there were only four beds: two in a room for the twins, one in another, smaller one for Harry, and one in the main bedroom for James. He felt himself blushing and swore under his breath, which went unnoticed by the children, who hurried into the bathroom one by one to wash and change.

  


'I have absolutely no idea how he managed that when he has been with us all the time, but I bet that was Albus, the old meddler!' he thought slightly annoyed and scowled. 

  


James noticed his queasiness, and grinned wearily. "No need to be embarrassed, my friend. Lily is a big girl and both she and I would trust you with her life. I'm sure you will take good care of her, eh?"

  


The stern Potions Master's face softened when he looked down at his sleeping partner and up at her brother again.

  


"I would do almost anything for her," Severus whispered earnestly.

  


James' face mirrored his expression when he gently answered: "I know."

  


Both were silent for a moment, then the blue-eyed man smiled and ushered him out of the chamber. "Go and find some sleep. You're going to need it if you want to put up with us for the next time. And make sure my dear sister takes her rest, sometimes she tends to ignore her own needs. Goodnight."

  


"I will remember that. Goodnight," Severus replied and crossed the corridor to his own chambers.

  


After muttering the password and discerning the wards, he entered his sanctuary, the woman he loved in his arms. Contrary to popular belief he neither lived in some kind of torture chamber nor did he collect more of the weird objects in jars that decorated his office. His rooms were dark, sure, they were deep under the earth, but the House-elves had lightened many candles and their soft light complimented the ancient furnitures. Just as he charmed the door close behind him and reactivated the wards, Lily stirred in his arms.

  


"Severus?" she murmured sleepily, "where are we?"

  


He kissed her gently on the forehead. "We are in my chambers. It seems our dear 'Uncle Albus' decided for you to stay with me."

  


She smiled up at him. "I told you I like him," she replied and kissed him softly on the lips. The kiss soon deepened and she slid slowly out of his arms to stand very close to him, her arms around his neck, caressing his black hair, while he rested one of his hands between her shoulders and the other on her back caressing her tenderly. When the need for air finally became too much, they broke apart and she laid her head on his chest while he held her close.

  


"As much as I would like to continue this, I promised you brother to take care of you and make sure you would rest, so I think you should go take a shower and get ready to sleep," he murmured gently.

  


"Bloody Jamie and his older-brother-attitude... I'm a big girl, I don't need a babysitter. I'd much rather... " What she would rather have done was cut off by a huge yawn, and Severus chuckled softly.

  


"I see...," he teased amiably, and gently led her to the bathroom. It was fairly big, with a huge tub and a nice shower that had easily enough space for two persons. Everything was in different shades of blue and the walls were painted in a way that made you feel like you were under water, with colourful fish swimming around, passing through beautiful coral riffs. Embedded into the ceiling was a layer of crystal which divided part of the light that was carefully directed down on it from above into the colours of the rainbow, sparkling all around the room when the sun was shining. As it was already dark outside, the light was dim, but here too the little servants had lightened several candles to illuminate the darkness and they made the crystal glitter like a thousand stars. Lily gave a contented sigh when she was finished with looking around the room and her eyes had a dreamy expression.

  


"Very nice," she commented with a longing look towards the shower.

  


Severus couldn't help but laugh. "Off with you, I hereby officially postpone the tour around my chambers until tomorrow. I see the House-Elves have already prepared everything, so have a nice shower." 

  


He kissed her lovingly, but broke the contact before it could become too intense. Giving her lovely face a brief caress, he smiled once more and left her to herself.

  


Before soon, she was cleaned, dried and wearing a cozy nightdress. Severus put her into bed and tucked the blankets around her tenderly, kissing her softly. He seemed to do that a lot lately, but then he just loved to feel her lips on his, she tasted so sweet...

  


"I love you, Severus," she whispered tiredly and bestowed a loving gaze upon him.

  


"I love you, too, Lily," he replied, strangely touched by her words, "Goodnight."

  


"Goodnight, love," she murmured and smiled contentedly.

  


Lily was asleep almost instantly and he smiled at her trust. Severus sat with her for some time, until he was certain she wouldn't wake for several hours. Then he left his chambers and headed for the hospital wing. It was still just early evening and he had to ask Poppy for a few favours. He grinned mischievously while he strode through the empty corridors, his black cloak billowing behind him. Oh, his dear colleagues were in for a rough morning. He chuckled as he tried to imagine the faces they would make. Hopefully, it would serve to lighten the McGonagalls' mood and draw a bit of the collective attention away from them. But it would at least be a hell of fun when his students saw him... 

  


  


In the meantime, the Headmaster had arrived back at his office, fetched the green bag and sat down behind his desk. He regarded the letter thoughtful for a moment, before he broke the seal and began to read.

  


'_My dear Albus,..._'

  


The old wizard's eyes grew wider and wider while he read on, and by the time he had finished the letter, his silver eyebrows nearly touched his hairline.

  


"Merlin!" he exclaimed faintly, "And they call _me_ an old meddler...!"

  


He shook his head in wonder. "I just hope that you know what you do, my beloved sister. But it seems I have no other choice than to trust you."

  


At that, he started to smile. "But I would have done so anyway." 

  


And still sorting through things in his mind, he settled back in his armchair and caressed Fawkes absentmindedly, which made the phoenix close his eyes in contentment. 

  


It would be a long night indeed.

  


  


  


When Lily woke in the morning, she was filled with a feeling of ... peace. She didn't know where it came from until she recalled the dream. It was strange. She tried to remember it, but the details just kept slipping out of reach. The only thing that remained clear in her mind was that it had been about her grandmother and that it had somehow comforted her immensely. Gone was the empty, aching void caused by Grandma's death and instead there was an instinctive knowledge that the old woman had not really left her. It was then that she remembered her words: 'My dear child, you know I'm always with you, even when you can't see me.' and 'Just remember that I can never be truly separated from any of you.'. She felt as though somehow her dream had confirmed these words and told her that she was not alone.

  


'But I'm not alone at all,' she thought, her heart dancing with love as she became aware of the strong arms that held her tenderly. 'I have my family and I have Severus!'

  


Turning carefully as to not disturb him, she looked at her sleeping love with incredible happiness. Glancing at him as if she would see him for the first time, she spotted all the subtle differences to when she had watched over him at his first day in the forest. He looked definitely better. The shadows under his eyes were gone and his harsh face was relaxed in sleep, the lines of pain and worry smoothed out. His sallow skin had gotten a healthier tan due to the days spent out in the winter sun and... -wait. She narrowed her eyes in wonder. His nose was straighter! Where before a huge beak of a nose had been was now a nowhere smaller, but distinctly straighter, more aristocratic, roman nose. Unable to hold back her curiosity any longer, she raised her hand and cautiously, softly touched his face. The corners of his mouth quirked upwards almost instantly and before she could draw back her hand in surprise, he had caught her by the wrist and kissed her palm tenderly.

  


"How long have you been awake?" she asked with faked sternness.

  


His smile turned into a slight smirk. "Long enough to wonder what possibly could have made you look at this ugly face for such a long time."

  


She sighed in annoyance, sat up and cupped said face in her hands in a loving gesture.

  


"First, it is NOT an ugly face, second, it never was, and third, it is the face of the man I love, so how could I not love it, too?" Lily looked down at him with an earnest expression. "I love you, Severus Snape, no matter what. You'd better get used to that." She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. "And what is this thing about your nose, anyway?" she demanded, following its outline with a featherlight touch of her finger, "It is different, more yourself. I like it."

  


"Really?" he asked with a boyish anxiety that Lily thought was absolutely cute, before he broke into a smug smile that revealed even, white teeth.

  


"Severus," she exclaimed, "what _have_ you done?"

  


The Slytherin pouted, which made him look even more boyish, and the redhead feared her heart would burst with love for him.

  


"Why, don't you like it?" he asked with mock disappointment.

  


"Sure as hell I do, but... you know my love for you doesn't depend on such superficialities, don't you?"

  


He pulled her down to him and kissed her gently. "I know."

  


Before soon, the passion of their kisses grew, and would perhaps have led to more intimate activities, had not just at that moment a knock sounded on the door to the bedroom and a tiny voice squeaked: "Is Professor Snape awake, sir? Sir? Sir?"

  


"Yes," Severus growled in his best I-will-kill-you-if-you-open-this-door-!-voice. 

  


"Sir, Professor Dumbledore said to tell Professor Snape he is waiting for him in his office in forty-five minutes. Cally has already prepared everything for Professor Snape. Shall Cally stay and wait for further orders, sir?" the House-Elf asked timidly.

  


The Potions Master scowled at the closed door, when he felt a calming hand on his arm. Looking at his love, who smiled good-naturedly, his anger vanished all of a sudden.

  


"No, that won't be necessary. You may go, Cally," he said considerably calmer.

  


"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," the small creature squealed and all was silent again.

  


"Albus and his bloody timing," Severus huffed, but Lily just put her arms around him and nuzzled his cheek.

  


"Oh, my poor Severus. How about a shower to lighten your mood?" she whispered in his ear.

  


He raised an eloquent eyebrow at her. "Excuse me, but I fail to see how such a common thing as a shower should raise my spirits."

  


She pulled back slightly, and smirked at him. "That sounds like you used to shower alone."

  


"Do you suggest that... " he let the sentence trail off, his obsidian eyes wide with comprehension.

  


Raising an eyebrow in an exact imitation of him, she nodded. "Yes, I do."

  


And before he could say anything else, she grinned, took him by the hands and led him to the bathroom.

  


  


Half an hour later, Lily was sitting on the huge four-poster bed and brushing her long hair, while Severus was standing across the room, closing the many buttons of his clothing. The bedroom was donned mainly in black, with tiny silver spots spread over the walls, thus giving the impression of floating in endless starlit space. The black and silver sheets and bedding made the red-haired witch in her emerald gown glow like a star of her own, alive with colour, lightening the black-clad, dark-haired man who now eyed her approvingly.

  


"So this Sirius broke your nose and you left it as a reminder?" Lily repeated what he had just told her.

  


"You could put it that way, yes," he answered after a moment's hesitation.

  


She snorted amusedly. "Boys!"

  


"Well, it might have had something to do with Lily's comment about it looking cool," Severus admitted and she chuckled heartily.

  


"Should I braid my hair or leave it like this?" she asked him, changing the topic.

  


"I like it better when you leave it down," he replied, "the lovely highlights are brought out better that way."

  


She smiled happily. "Then I'll leave it, my love."

  


Smiling back, he strode over to her and enfolded her in his arms.

  


"I take it you are feeling better, then?" he demanded gently.

  


She frowned slightly. "Better than when?" she asked, then understood what he wanted to say. "Oh, you mean last night? Yes, that's right. I... I had a dream tonight. I can't remember the details, but I know that it was about Grandma. And now, I feel like... she is still with me somehow. This may sound weird..."

  


He kissed her briefly to shut her up, and caressed her sweet face. "It doesn't. You were not the only one who dreamed tonight."

  


"Oh!" was all she said, then she smiled and cuddled close against him. They stayed like this for several moments, before he sighed.

  


"We better go now. Albus will probably tease us mercilessly anyway, but it's better not to provide him with extra excuses."

  


"I guess you are right. Well, then here we go."

  


  


The pair left their chambers, just to be greeted by the rest of the McGonagall family who was also exiting their quarters at that precise moment.

  


Severus' raised brows were met by a grinning Holly. "Good morning, Uncle Severus. What a nice coincidence!"

  


"Uncle? Coincidence? I think I should go back and get some more sleep... " the Slytherin growled in amusement.

  


"Morning, Aunt Lily, Uncle Severus," Heather greeted, ignoring the 'Uncle?'-remark, while Harry just nodded and smiled at them.

  


"Good morning, Lily and Severus," James said cheerfully, closing the door behind him. "According to Harry, you had the Dream, too?"

  


"Yes, we did," Lily replied, "It was a great relief."

  


"That it was," her brother confirmed. "We'd better be on our way then, otherwise we'll be late. -Nice change, by the way, ShadowBoy," he added with a smile.

  


"Thanks," Severus grumbled and the six of them ascended the stairs to the Headmaster's office.

  


  


As always, the door to Albus' office opened before any of them even attempted to knock, and his cheerful voice called merrily out to them: 

  


"A wonderful morning to you, my dear children. Did you sleep well? Did the arrangements suit you?" That last question was added in direction of the dark-haired Slytherin who was torn between glaring at his old meddling friend and smiling at the bright mischievous twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes. Admitting defeat, he settled on pulling the redhead at his side nearer to him and smirked.

  


James, who had followed the exchange with amusement, grinned. "I think that is a definite 'yes' to both questions. Good morning, Uncle Albus."

  


Echoing his greeting, the children entered the room. Albus smiled kindly at them all and came over to them.

  


"As you may remember from our last conversation, there is someone I would like to introduce you to. I already took the liberty of filling him in on a few things, and now it's your turn. What do you know about Harry Potter?"

  


James frowned in thought. "He alone survived the Killing-Curse when he was one year old and Voldemort came to murder him and his parents, leaving the boy with the scar and the Dark Lord without a body. He was raised by his muggle-relatives and knew nothing of our world until he got his Hogwarts Letter. He attends this school now and managed to survive his first four years, despite several attempts of the dark side to kill him, culminating in the events of last year when Voldemort was restored to a body of his own. Oh, and his godfather is a convicted murder on the run, who's in fact innocent of that crime." He resumed his grin, when he saw the Headmaster's raised eyebrows. "Remus Lupin's older brother Romulus is my best friend. He shared the information Remus passed on to him in his letters with us. You see, we were not really _that_ isolated from the rest of the world."

  


"Splendid," Albus beamed at him, "this makes my task much easier. The reason for this private introduction is that you, Lily and James, not only bear the same first-names as Harry's parents, but in addition also look very much like them. So as Severus was kind enough to remind me, it will be easier for Harry to meet you here for the first time, prepared and sheltered from public view."

  


"We fully understand the need for this and we will try and help the child as good as we can," Lily replied and smiled friendly, while the others nodded their assent.

  


"That's more than I could ask for," the old wizard said with a pleased expression. "Well, I think we should proceed into the other room then."

  


He set off in direction of the door, and the others followed him suit, that is all but one.

  


"Severus?" Lily asked in a confused voice, "What are you waiting for?"

  


"Ahem," he began, aware that the rest of the McGonagalls and Albus had stopped and were now looking back at him, "I think you should go without me. Mr Potter already knows me, it's you he is meant to meet."

  


His partner snorted. "Nonsense, love. We go in there as a family, and you're part of that family now. Or," she lowered her voice so that her words were for him to hear alone, "are you... embarrassed to be seen with us by a student?" Her eyes had darkened a shade with uncertainty, but were also filled with love and understanding.

  


"I will never be embarrassed about you and me being together," he answered firmly and kissed her lovingly to prove his point. "It's just... ," he took a deep breath, "There have been several, no, I admit it, there have been _many_ misunderstandings between Mr, Potter and me, because I was unable to let go off the past and my enmity with his father. I therefore thought it would be wiser for you to get to know him without my... disturbing presence at first, to prevent the boy from jumping to conclusions and enabling him to act his true self."

  


"That is quite noble from your side, ShadowBoy, but as you may have noticed by now," James smirked, " we tend to be rather straight-forward-people. What better point to start a new relationship with Harry Potter than now?" 

  


"Well, ..." the Slytherin let the sentence trail, then came to a decision, "Alright, I will try."

  


His love smiled at him sweetly. "Then we shouldn't let the poor boy wait any longer."

  


And Albus opened the door and led them into the next room.

  


  


Upon entering, the dark-haired teen who was waiting for them rose from his seat and turned to face them. His emerald eyes grew round as they flickered from Lily to James, and with a gasp he sank back down on the sofa, visibly pale. 

  


'Poor lad,' James thought, his own surprise at seeing a boy who could easily pass as the twin brother to his son quickly overcome by a flash of sympathy for the kid. 'Lily told me how hard it was for her when she first met Severus, and he doesn't even look much like Dominick.'

  


"Harry," the Headmaster said gently to his student, "needless to say, these are the people I wanted you to meet. Lily McGonagall, her brother James and his children."

  


Harry Potter swallowed hard, nodded and recollected himself with a visible effort, before he left the sofa and came over to them.

  


"Nice to meet you, Mrs McGonagall, Mr McGonagall," he greeted them hoarsely.

  


James felt the same protectiveness that he held towards his own children rush through him, and he smiled warmly at the kid, his eyes leaving the tall, skinny youth before him just briefly to meet those of his twin. The two needed no words to make their decision. This child's eyes spoke all too clearly what was in his heart, and they would be the last in the world to deny him his desire. If the kid wished so badly to have a family, then a family he would get! All they had to do was see if he fitted in with them, but James had few doubts about that. This was special, and it would work. They would make it work, if it was what Harry wanted. All this passed between the twins in a matter of seconds, and both nodded barelyperceptible. A quick glance behind him showed equal expressions on his children's faces, and they, too, nodded their approval.

  


"Please, child," Lily replied in the same soothing tones Grandma and Albus so often used, "if it is not too painful for you, just call us Lily and James. The Headmaster told us about our resemblance to your parents, and while it is sad for us to make your acquaintance due to so grim circumstances, we should all be aware of the possibilities the situation holds."

  


Harry watched her with wide emerald eyes, so similar to hers, so full of grief and mourning, that the McGonagalls' hearts flew out to him and James suddenly realized that unless Harry didn't want them, he had already been accepted into their midst.

  


"What Lily means is that you are welcome to get to know us better. Though we are not your parents, we are more than willing to help you in their stead as good as we can. I suggest you spent as much time with us as you like and we see how it goes from there." He saw the kid's eyes widen even further and for a moment, they were glittering with tears, the raw emotion in them nearly breaking his heart. Then fear washed over his face like a shadow, just for an instant and his expression became guarded. "Please don't get me wrong," James added softly, "this is not an obligation, just an offer. It's entirely up to you, and we won't think less of you should you decline it. The past is difficult to overcome, we all know that."

  


Harry nodded, uncertainty obvious in his bearing, and started when the Potions Master spoke up in a low voice.

  


"Mr Potter, I recommend that you do what your heart tells you. As to your hesitation: Although I never got along well with your father, your mother was a good friend of mine. Believe me when I tell you that both of them would want nothing more than to see you happy, and accepting the McGonagalls' offer of being there for you does not mean that you don't honor their memory or their love for you, nor will it put the McGonagalls in any more danger than they already are. You know, "he added gently, pulling Lily tenderly closer to him, "sometimes life offers us second chances."

  


The dark-haired youth's eyes grew as wide as they possibly could and his jaw dropped, while the remaining colour rushed from his face.

  


"Does that... does that mean... _you_... and... _my mother_?!" he croaked in disbelief.

  


"Yes," Severus replied softly, calmly, "there was a time when your mother and I were a pair, before I was forced to take the Dark Mark and serve Voldemort. After that, the danger to her life would have been too great to risk staying with me, so she went to your father. Perhaps you can imagine now why seeing you doesn't necessarily wake the most content memories in me. If it hadn't been for Voldemort, you could have been _my_ son."

  


He paused a moment, probably to give the boy some time to process the information, and then squared his shoulders, took a breath and continued a bit stiffly. "Mr Potter... , ... Harry, I know now that I had no right to treat you as I have done these last four years. I made you suffer for things long past, events that took place before you were born and that you bear absolutely no responsibility for. I cannot change that, I can only offer you my sincere regret and hope you can accept my honest apology."

  


Harry stared at his teacher several moments longer apparently just now realizing the altered appearance, before he shut his mouth and narrowed his eyes.

  


"Alright, who are you and what have you done to Professor Snape?"

  


Severus stared back at the boy for an instance, before he broke out laughing. Lily and James joined him when they saw the kid's face. His confused expression was priceless. Even Albus had to cover a chuckle with a coughing fit. When they had calmed down again, the Slytherin shook his head softly, still chuckling with amusement.

  


"Despite Voldemort better attempts I can assure you, Harry, that I am indeed Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts. Many things have happened in these few days, and it seems facing certain death and finding the love of your life count to those who can change a man." He sighed contentedly as Lily snuggled closer. "They certainly made me see some things in a different light and are still continuing to do so. I am not the same man I was, I am no longer a spy for example."

  


Harry nodded at that. "I know."

  


Severus raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. "How so?"

  


The boy shot the the Headmaster a brief glance, and the old wizard nodded slightly.

  


"I saw what happened. I ... have dreams, visions of what Voldemort does sometimes. They showed me the fight and your escape, but nothing after that. So when you didn't come back that night we feared for the worst," he whispered, eyes cast down.

  


"Really?" Severus asked dryly and the kid looked up at the sarcastic tone and carefully concealed pain in his voice.

  


"Yes, sir! I ... you may have been a mean git in class, but Voldemort's wrath is something I wouldn't wish anybody. We really were concerned about you," he stated firmly.

  


James saw Severus swallow and close his eyes briefly, while Lily squeezed his hand lovingly.

  


"I... would never have thought that there could be students who would miss me should I not return," he said in a low, slightly shaken voice.

  


The boy seemed to realize by now that there was distinctly more to his Potions teacher than he had been aware of, and seemed to search for something comforting to answer, but a voice from behind the adults saved him from that.

  


"Well, now you know," Heather told him warmly, before she slid past her father to stand in front of the group. "Uncle Albus, I don't want to be rude, but could we complete the introduction now? If I understood Holly correctly, we have a lot to do today."

  


The silver-haired wizard smiled kindly at his niece. "You and your sister are right, like you are so often. Come on then, my dear children and let me introduce you to Harry."

  


The youngsters obeyed without hesitation, and the poor lad was in for another round of wide eyes when the other Harry came to stand directly in front of him.

  


"Harry, these are James' children Holly, Heather and Harry... " Albus blinked, and chuckled. "Oh dear, it seems that could be a bit difficult. Two Harrys who in addition also look like twins..."

  


But Harry Potter was oblivious to his words, as he was eying Harry McGonagall with rapt fascination.

  


"You look exactly like me!" he exclaimed in wonder.

  


His 'twin' chuckled. "I could say the same from you," he answered dryly.

  


His sisters giggled at the boys. "Your faces!" Heather said, grinning.

  


"Priceless!" Holly agreed.

  


He snorted, shot them a typical older-brother-look and told the other boy: "Don't worry, they may seem a bit girlish at the moment, but most of the time they're pretty normal. And moreover, they have fourteen years worth of ideas how to have fun with people being unable to distinguish identical twins, since that kind of prank never worked with members of our family. I'm quite sure they'll share some of them with us, if we ask nicely."

  


Harry Potter looked at the two girls with an eagerness that made Severus roll his eyes, and Holly chuckled lightly.

  


"Sure we will do. I see a lot of fun coming our way," she replied with a smile.

  


The Gryffindor returned the smile warmly. "Same here," was all he said.

  


The Potions Master groaned, and eyed the lot who tried to look innocently with mock sternness.

  


"Is there a problem, _Professor Snape_?" Heather asked sweetly.

  


Severus opened his mouth to scold them, but couldn't find the will to do so.

  


"Oh well, you little brats, I trust you will have an eye on him and keep yourself out of serious mess. Just make sure it isn't me you get caught by, for I know you are smart enough not to get caught at all and will see to it that stupidity will be punished, is that understood?"

  


"Yes, sir!" the teens said together.

  


"Harry... ," he continued, and the two boys looked up at him, " ... You are right, Albus, this is really a bit confusing with two Harrys."

  


James sighed. "Alright, it seems the time has come then for me to finally become James and pass the Jamie on to Harry."

  


Severus nodded. "That will make matters much easier. So, _Harry_, what I wanted to say is, could you take care of these three, you know, show them the castle, introduce them to your friends, something like that?"

  


Harry smiled timidly at his teacher. "Sure, sir. I'd love to."

  


Albus beamed at them. "Splendid, then this is settled. Now I'm sure you'd all like to know how we go on from here. As I have already told you, you are free to either have breakfast with the rest of us in the Great Hall or at you chambers. I would, however, recommend you to come with Harry and me into the Great Hall, so that you can become used to being in the presence of a greater number of people, as you will go to Diagon Alley after breakfast to purchase your equipment."

  


"Diagon Alley, Albus?" Severus demanded, frowning, "Is it really necessary to take the risk of leaving the school grounds?"

  


His old friend smiled benignly. "Holly, my dear, what do you say?"

  


The red-haired girl closed her eyes and furrowed her brows in deep concentration. "I can't say for sure as I'm still struggling with controlling the gift, but from what I see, the Death Eaters are still recovering from the raid yesterday and there will be no imminent danger to us outside Hogwarts." She opened her eyes again. "Furthermore, I'm fairly certain that Aunt Lily would have had a presentiment if it was otherwise."

  


Albus looked from Holly to her Aunt and Lily shook her head softly. "No, there wasn't anything beside the Dream."

  


The Headmaster nodded knowingly and turned his gaze back to his Potions Master. "Does that suffice to sooth your concerns?"

  


Severus scowled darkly. "Not really," he growled.

  


That made the silver-haired wizard beam merrily at him and his bright blue eyes twinkled as he answered: "Well, then I will just have to come with you, my dear boy and hope that will serve to keep harm from our family, what do you say?"

  


His family beamed back at him at his words, and Heather exclaimed happily: "That would be great, Uncle Albus!"

  


Harry glanced from her to Dumbledore in confusion. "Family, sir?" he asked timidly.

  


Again, the Headmaster nodded. "Lily's and James' Grandmother was my sister, but that is a longer story. I suggest you accompany us today, Harry, so that Jamie and the twins can tell you a bit more about their family. I trust you have enough experience by now to judge wisely with whom you can talk about it and with whom not." His friendly wink clearly suggested that the 'Uncle-Albus'-thing also fell under that kind of judgement.

  


"Of course, Professor Dumbledore. I would never willingly betray your trust," he replied earnestly.

  


"I know that, my dear boy," he beamed kindly at him. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am rather hungry by now. Who wants to go down into the Great Hall with me for breakfast?"

  


A chorus of "Me" answered him and after a quick look around, James stated chuckling: "I think we will all accompany you, Uncle Albus. I can't speak for the others, but I'm really looking forward to meeting new people after all these years in the wood."

  


Nods of affirmation came from the others and Albus smiled friendly. "Then we should take our leave."

  


And with him in the lead, the McGonagalls and Harry set off for the Great Hall.

  


  


The adolescents had stayed a bit behind the adults, and were talking in low voices.

  


"Don't worry Harry, you will get used to it soon," Holly said to the Gryffindor in sympathy.

  


"Yeah, I guess I will. Shouldn't be too difficult, after all that happened these past years. And this isn't even something bad, it's just.. well, it was a bit much all at once," Harry replied faintly, still in shock.

  


Jamie chuckled lightly. "Just think of the fun we can have together. Unless you really want to, you'll never have to be alone anymore from now on. And we don't care for Voldemort or your scar. People deserve better than to be judged by their past."

  


Heather nodded empathetically. "The past is something to remember, but must never take control over the present or the future."

  


Heaving a sigh of relief, Harry eyed the other teens with apprehension. "You know, you three are... peculiar. But really cool. I begin to think that this term can really turn into a happy one for a change."

  


The McGonagall kids chuckled, and Holly took one of Harry's arms in hers. "My dear Harry, we would be severely disappointed should it be different. And you wouldn't want to see us disappointed, now would you?" she said, batting her eyes at him.

  


Harry couldn't help but grin at her attitude. "Not if I can help it, my dear lady," he replied.

  


"Then it's settled," Jamie stated, and they spent the rest of their way to the Great Hall with the relaxed banter of siblings.

  


  


When they entered the Great Hall, all eyes seemed to turn upon them. Severus felt Lily beside him stiffen, and tensed as well. He was definitely not used to showing open affection in front of others, and the presence of the people at the large table made him feel uncomfortable. Resisting the urge to let Lily's hand drop at once, he looked into the face of his love. He saw uncertainty there and distress, and the protectiveness that surged through him pushed every negative feeling aside. Hellfire, this woman belonged to him, and he would be damned if he let others make him deny her the comfort he could give her. Determination on his face, he put an arm around her slender waist and pulled her close to him in a gesture of clear possessiveness. Lily relaxed almost immediately and let him lead her to the table.

  


The staff stared at them with wide eyes, but before anyone could say something, Albus spoke.

  


"My dear staff and students, these are Salvia McGonagall's children Lily and James, as well as James' daughters Holly and Heather, and his son Jamie. I know some of them bear a great resemblance to people you know or remember, but I trust you will come over that as soon as possible and make our new residents feel welcome in our beloved school. Thank you."

  


With this said, he took his usual seat at the table, and let the McGonagalls choose their own seating arrangements. James sat down on Albus right, next to Minerva McGonagall, while Lily stayed next to Severus who chose two seats beside Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, whereas the children followed Harry to the rest of his friends.

  


The teachers continued to stare at Lily and James for another few moments, while the Headmaster introduced everyone to them. Minerva McGonagall looked at them with a heartfelt smile and tears in her eyes, while Rolanda Hooch smiled proudly and nodded at them. Pomona Sprout beamed and padded Lily's hand warmly, and tiny Filius Flitwick snuffled into a large handkerchief, trying to hide his tears. Albus told them that there were six more teachers who were not present, Professors Sinistra and Vector who would return from holidays at home after lunch, Professor Binns who was a ghost and thus didn't attend the meals, Professor Trelawney who preferred to eat in her tower, and Professors Lupin and Hagrid who were out on missions and had yet to report to him. 

  


Lily and James returned the staff's greetings politely, and helped themselves to some breakfast. The mood remained strange, until Severus made one of his typical sarcastic remarks to Lily ("You know, love, they do know how to talk, I guess they just don't want to scare you off so soon...") , and relieved the tension. After that, comfortable conversation ensued, and the adult twins relaxed bit by bit. 

  


Albus' mentioning that they were Salvia's children helped matters a lot. Though they couldn't escape some comments about how much they resembled the Potters, it was easier for the teachers to accept they were not related to them. Minerva for one didn't mention the Potters once, but instead told them many things that she knew about their mother. Although Salvia had been several years behind her, she had got to know her rather well when she returned as an assistant teacher, both being in Gryffindor House and sharing a love for the same subject. The rest of the staff soon followed their example, and the mood at the table was back to normal again. When Minerva, being the first to notice the change in the Potions Master, began to tease her Slytherin colleague subtly, the talk even turned into a happy chat.

  


While the adults grew accustomed to the McGonagalls presence, the students had their own way in dealing with the situation.

  


"Hey mate, where have you been?" asked Ron, who had been deep into conversation with his brother Fred and was totally oblivious to the Headmaster's announcement. He had gotten tall and lanky during the summer holidays and still moved slightly awkward as if he wasn't quite aware of where his longer limbs ended. Having been chosen as Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Ron was still a bit unsure of his own abilities though he had done a very good job so far. But with their next match being against Slytherin, his initial nervousness had now returned full power. So naturally, his talk with Fred had been about Quidditch, and he didn't realize he was speaking not to Harry, but to Jamie who raised a brow at him, smiled, and sat down next to the redhead.

  


Before he could say something, however, Ron frowned and looked at him critically. "Harry, where did you leave your glasses? And... ," his eyes skipped on to the other boy's forehead, "Wait! I don't see your scar! What the hell...!"

  


Sparkling emerald eyes made him halt his words, and Jamie finally managed to answer him.

  


"The reason for that is quite simple: I'm not Harry, as I would have already told you had you given me a chance to do so. My name is James McGonagall, Jamie for friends. I take it Professor Dumbledore introduced us a minute or so ago if I recall correctly."

  


Realizing the rest of the student were looking at them, most of them grinning, Ron turned beet-red, but Jamie just continued to smile his serene but infatuating smile and chuckled.

  


"No need to be embarrassed, you'll certainly not be the last one to fall for that particular joke, you merely had the bad luck to be the first. I hope you don't mind so much you won't tell me your name?"

  


Ron shook his head, and, unable to resist the dark-haired boy's quiet charm, grinned back at him. "No. I mean, no I don't mind. I'm Ron Weasley and these are my sister Ginny, my brothers Fred and George, and Hermione Granger, the smartest witch in the school."

  


Now it was Hermione's turn to blush, and she shot her friend a brief glare, hissing: "Ron!"

  


Harry who had taken a seat next to Holly chuckled softly. "Don't scold him, it's not his fault that it's true."

  


Their brown-eyed friend blushed even deeper at that. Like the boys she had grown over the summer and finally found a way to control her hair somehow, so that it streamed in many curls down her back now. She looked definitely more female than last year and poor Ron had a hard time around her, confused by his feelings for his best friend. 

  


Eventually, Heather took pity on Hermione. "Manners, boys, manners. Although it may be fun to make a girl blush, it's not considered nice to do so in front of so many witnesses. I'm Heather, by the way, and this is my twin sister Holly."

  


"Nice to meet you, Heather, Holly and Jamie," Ginny said from her place between Fred and George, not quite a girl anymore, but definitely not yet a woman, with her long red Weasley hair and warm brown eyes. "Are you here for a visit?"

  


"No, we will be students here, just like you," Holly replied with a smile.

  


"But it's almost mid-term! I didn't know you can change schools during term," Hermione exclaimed.

  


Heather nodded calmly. "We were taught at home until recent events convinced Dad that it would be safer for us to go to Hogwarts."

  


"But I think that is something to talk about in a more private setting," her twin added.

  


"I'm glad you are here now. The mood in the school has been way too dark this year," Harry said softly.

  


Fred and George nodded vigorously. "Yeah, it's about time for a bit of fun," Fred stated firmly.

  


"And since Fred and I are in our last year, there is always the question of our successors..." George added thoughtfully.

  


"Successors to what?" Heather asked curiously.

  


"Another thing we should rather discuss in private," Harry interjected hastily with a tell-tale glance toward the teachers.

  


"I can only agree with you on that, Harry, my friend," George nodded with a wink in their direction. "Now how about you three, do you like Quidditch?"

  


That led to a relaxed conversation about Quidditch, the school and several other things. The McGonagall kids learned a lot about Harry's friends and they in turn made some interesting discoveries. One of the first was that the McGonagalls were related to the Weasleys, their mother being a cousin to Mr Weasley, which led the family-loving Weasleys to the instant decision to call them cousins, and be called the same by them in turn. 

  


When that was settled, they discussed the similarities between Harry and Jamie, and after having Harry pursued to let Madam Pomfrey finally correct his eyesight with magic - "Believe me, my friend, you may find yourself in a situation where you can't afford relying on glasses only too soon, just think about your next Quidditch match in a storm," Holly said earnestly – they found that although the two boys had much in common, there were some distinct differences between them, the most outstanding being that Jamie had almost no interest in Quidditch and flying, but instead really enjoyed Potions, with others yet to be discovered when they got to know each other better. The two dark-haired boys, however, got along more than well, and when they were finished with breakfast it would have been hard to see that they were anything other than real brothers.

  


The youngsters could happily have spent the whole morning talking, but after a while the adults rose and Albus, Severus, Lily and James came over to them.

  


"Hey my little mischief-makers, are you ready to go?" James asked with a grin.

  


"Sure, Dad," Holly relied, and turning to the others added: "We have to go purchase some things in Diagon Alley, but I hope we can resume our conversation when we are back. Is that alright with you?"

  


Harry's friends smiled at the McGonagalls and nodded. 

  


"Of course," answered Hermione," we're looking forward to that. There are still a lot of stories to tell."

  


"Then we will see you later," Jamie said softly, and rose from his seat to join the adults, and together with his sisters and Harry, he followed the Headmaster to his office.

  


Once inside, Albus led them to a large fireplace where orange flames were dancing happily.

  


"Do you know how to travel with Floo powder?" he asked the McGonagalls.

  


James' mouth curled into a lop-sided grin. "Only in theory. You throw some powder into the flames and speak the name of your destination loud and clearly. But none of us has ever done it."

  


His Uncle beamed merrily back at him. "Then it's about time you tried. Here is the Floo powder. The destination is 'The Leaky Cauldron'." And he did as he said and vanished.

  


James looked at the pot with a slight grimace, then shrugged, threw some of the powder into the flames, stepped into the now green flames and called out: "The Leaky Cauldron!" The fire flared and he was gone. Lily looked at Severus slightly uneasy about the procedure, but he pressed her against him in a comforting gesture and she sighed and relaxed. When the teens were gone, she followed them without protest and Severus was the last to leave the office.

  


  


Tom greeted them warmly when they stepped into the pub, but Albus just exchanged a few words with him before he took them into the backyard and tapped the third brick from the left above the dustbin with his wand. The archway into Diagon Alley opened, and they passed it one after the other.

  


When they were inside, the silver-haired wizard let his children some time to accommodate to the strange sight. Rose had told him in her letter that save for Lily's trip to Hogwarts, none of them had ever left the wood, so this had to be rather overwhelming for them. Their faces accurately confirmed his assumptions. Adults and youngsters alike were staring with wide eyes at the colourful, crowded alley with its strange shops and even stranger people.

  


Lily's eyes were a bright emerald, and she cuddled close to Severus for comfort. Albus had to smile at that. Who had thought that his stern Potions Master would yet get a second chance to find the love of his life? Oh, he was so happy for the boy! The poor child certainly more than deserved it, after all he had suffered through. She was definitely good for him, he already looked more at ease, younger, more like he had before the time with Voldemort had made him age too early. And Lily. She was definitely calmer, more balanced than the fierce FireChild in the description her Grandmother had given him. And that was all for the good, when what Rose had seen would come true.

  


The children had recovered from their shock by now, assisted by Harry, and were bombarding their friend with questions, which made him chuckle heartily. Albus face softened. It was good for Harry, too, that the McGonagalls were now at Hogwarts. Their offer to accept the boy into their family might have come a bit rushed, but he didn't in the least doubt that it was thoroughly genuine. Quigley had also been like that. An extremely good chap and loyal to death, a true Gryffindor. He sighed as he thought of his passed-on best friend, whose sacrifice he could only now fully comprehend. 'I owe you, Quigley, and I will do what is necessary to make sure that what you did was not in vain!' Shaking himself out of his memories, he noticed that Lily and James had also overcome their surprise by now, and were questioning their Slytherin friend just like the youngsters Harry. 

  


Harry. The poor boy had had a hard summer. Albus wished he wouldn't have been forced to make him go back to his Muggle relatives during the holidays, but the protection a blood relative could grant him was the greatest that existed. Still, three months with them had let Harry return angry, full of guilt and shame, which soon turned him into a quiet, detached, almost dark boy, afraid to let people become dear to him lest it put them in danger. And the occasional visions of Voldemort's doings had definitely not improved his mood. Seeing him now, Holly at his side, Heather teasing him heartily, Jamie backing him up in the friendly banter, lightened the old wizard's heart.

  


"Albus," Severus finally asked him, "shouldn't we get going?"

  


"Sure, my dear boy. The Apothecary first?" he replied and twinkled at them.

  


"Oh yes!" Heather squealed, "That would be great!"

  


The Slytherin rolled his eyes. "I see a hard time coming," he growled.

  


"Don't be a spoilsport, Uncle Severus," Holly said teasingly, and before he could reprimand her or even set his death-glare into place, they were gone, dragging a very surprised Harry along. Albus chuckled inwardly when he saw his protégé trying hard to keep a straight face at Harry's look of disbelief. 

  


The adults followed the teens at a much more leisurely pace, and after having spent quality time in the Apothecary, the moved on to buy the rest of their supplies. Harry was still shaking his head at the others who had discussed their Potions equipment with Severus most animatedly, each of them being totally in their element. Before they had purchased anything, however, they had asked Albus how they would pay what they needed, but he could calm them down. Rose had included the key to her Gringott's vault in her letter, which he had taken to remove the sum they would need for their shopping and a bit more than that. Assuring them that there was still plenty of money left and that he would sort through it with them on one of the next days, he handed them the key and the money and took them on to Madam Malkin's. While the McGonagalls had some robes fitted, Albus was once again glad that he had managed to take the morning off to spend it with his new-found family. Granted, he had many grandchildren of his own by now, but these were Rose's children and they would always remain special to him. So he continued to enjoy himself and teased his Potions Master a bit. Merlin, he couldn't help it, it was so funny to make the Slytherin blush!

  


They went on to Flourish and Blotts, where all the McGonagalls sighed with contentment at the sight of the many books, but Albus had already prepared a book list for each of them and ushered them out of the shop before they could get lost in enthusiasm. He sighed deeply over the lingering fascination on their faces, he could remember another face all too well bearing the same desire for knowledge as they had shown, and he wondered for what had likely to be the hundredth time since he had read Rose's letter how much like their father they would turn out to be. 

  


The twins' voices brought him back to the here and now, and together they continued their shopping. Quills, parchment, ink, cauldrons and several other items later all that was left to buy were their wands, so they set off for Ollivanders.

  


The bell rang somewhere in the depths of the small shop as they entered and gathered in the tiny place. They remained silent for several moments, looking around in timid awe.

  


"Good morning," said the soft voice of Mr Ollivander before them, and everyone except Albus, Lily and Jamie jumped. The old, silver-haired wizard smiled warmly at his old friend, and shook his hand heartily.

  


"Good morning, Mr Ollivander," he replied, "I hope you are well?"

  


The old wizard with the large, pale eyes shrugged indifferently. "As well as one can be in these dark times, Professor Dumbledore." He turned his moon-like gaze on Severus. "Ah, Severus Snape! I haven't seen you here for a very long time, not since you bought your last wand, in fact. Ebony and Peruvian Vipertooth heartstring, 13 inches, wasn't it?" 

  


The Slytherin nodded darkly. "It was, with emphasis on the past tense. I'm afraid Voldemort burned it to coal."

  


Mr Ollivander shook his head softly. "Always a dark wand that was. A pity though that it was destroyed. But it seems to have served you well despite its destruction if I see you standing here safe and well."

  


Again, Severus nodded. "It was a fine wand, and saved my life with the very last spell it worked. Now I am here to find a new one, as are my friends."

  


"Yes, I thought so. Lily and James McGonagall, Salvia's children. I can still remember her when she came to purchase her first wand. Oh, she was so excited, a bright little girl with sparkling emerald eyes and hair the colour of fire. Rosewood her wand was, and Welsh Red heartstring, 12 and a half inches, inflexible. Quite a unusual combination, very contradicting, but nice for Transfiguration. So now you have come to follow her to Hogwarts? Well, well, then let's see which wand finds you suitable."

  


Albus saw Jamie and Heather look at Holly expectantly and smiled when the girl sighed and cleared her throat.

  


"Ahem, Mr Ollivander, sir?" she asked timidly.

  


"Yes, Miss McGonagall?" he said kindly.

  


"Uh, well, I ... I assume that you'd really like to test the different wands to find the right one for each of us, but would you mind if I sped matters up a bit?" 

  


She blushed slightly and looked down, but the old wand-maker just chuckled friendly and replied: "I do not only not mind, Miss McGonagall, I am very curious as to how you mean to accomplish that task."

  


"Oh, that's just a matter of concentration," she told him confidently, sat down on the single chair in the room, closed her eyes and did exactly that. Her expression became calm and detached, as she sank into the kind of trance Albus himself knew so well and had seen uncountable times at his sister's face. After a short time, she heaved a deep breath and opened her eyes again. Knowledge beyond her age shone in the astonishingly blue depths for a moment, before they became the eyes of a fourteen- year- old once more. Determination in her movements, she rose and walked to the high shelves, bending down to fetch one narrow box there, stretching to catch another one from a higher shelf on the other side, and in that way gathering six boxes all in all. Handing one of them to Lily, James, Severus, Jamie and her twin sister each and keeping one herself, she smiled comfortingly up at them, obviously quite tired, but her beautiful eyes twinkling brightly. 

  


"Well, now we shall see if I found the right ones. Who wants to go first?" she asked with exhaustion, and James opened the box and took the wand out of it.

  


"I trust your judgement, little flower. Let's see how this works," he said with a grin and gave the wand a wave. 

  


Scarlet and silver sparks shot from the end and rained down at once.

  


Mr Ollivander eyed the wand and nodded, slightly impressed. "Willow and unicorn mane hair, 11 and a half inches, swishy, nice for charm work. A good choice."

  


"Me next," Lily exclaimed in excitement, and Albus couldn't help but smile at her eagerness. She really was a lot like Salvia.

  


Taking her wand out of its box, she flicked it graciously, and was rewarded instantly by a shower of emerald and golden sparks.

  


Again, the pale-eyed wizard nodded, not in the least surprised. "Mahagony and phoenix feather, 12 inches, pliable, just the right wand for Transfiguration."

  


"Alright, now I want to know if you got mine right," Severus growled and brought it swishing down. Green and silver sparks streamed from the tip to the ground.

  


Mr Ollivander raised his brows at him. "That is a pairing I wouldn't have guessed in the first place. Blackthorn and phoenix feather, 12 and a half inches, flexible. That's a powerful combination for Defense against the Dark Arts."

  


The Potions Master snorted, but seemed to approve the choice. "It's not like I wouldn't need it only too soon," he replied dryly.

  


"Moreover, the feather in your wand and the one in that of Miss McGonagall are from the same phoenix, so your wands are brothers. You might keep that in mind regarding some of the special effects it features," the wand-maker told him.

  


Severus appeared to be speechless for a moment, then nodded, sighed, and laid his arms tenderly around his love. The red-haired witch just smiled at him happily and snuggled into the embrace. Albus beamed merrily at the both of them.

  


Heather and Jamie, who had watched the adults' behavior in amusement and patiently waited for their turn, raised their wands simultaneously now and produced twin fountains of crimson and golden sparks.

  


"That's indeed really amazing! All your guesses were right so far. You have very accurate senses, young lady. Perhaps you should consider a carrier as a wand-maker once you have graduated from Hogwarts?" the old wizard said to Holly, deeply impressed.

  


The girl smiled wearily back at him. "Thank you, sir, I will think about that."

  


Mr Ollivander nodded earnestly, then turned to the two teens. "Maple and Welsh Red heartstring, 11 inches, quite whippy, it is for you, Mr McGonagall, and Silver Fir and unicorn forelock hair, 13 and a half inches for you, Miss McGonagall." He turned back to the last remaining customer and eyed her expectantly. "Now I'm really curious as to which wand chose you. Are you ready to reveal the secret?"

  


Holly nodded tiredly and gave the wand in her hand a brief flick. Emerald and silver sparks flowed from the end and threw dancing spots of light on to the walls.

  


The old wand-maker, however, became very sober all of a sudden and fixed the redhead with his pale stare.

  


"Curious, curious indeed, that fate held this wand in store for you. Yew and phoenix feather, 13 and a half inches, very powerful in its own way. The same combination as in the wand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I can only hope you will use it wisely, regarding what its cousin has done and is still doing."

  


Holly met his eyes fearlessly. "Do not worry, sir, I will."

  


Mr Ollivander held her gaze a moment longer, then nodded. "Very well. I think, Mr Potter, you are not the only one who will leave his impression on the wizarding world. With this family, the things you will be fit for together will without doubt be great indeed."

  


Harry seemed to consider this for a moment and then broke into a lop-sided smile. "So I guess I'm really not alone anymore."

  


Heather and Holly grinned knowingly and Jamie snorted. "So you got it at last. Took you long enough, little brother."

  


The Gryffindor raised his brows at him, but waited until they had paid for the wands and said their goodbyes to Mr Ollivander before he asked Jamie: "Hey, how do you know I'm younger than you? When is your birthday anyway?"

  


His 'brother' rolled his eyes at the other boy. "31st of July 1981, if you have to know, early in the morning."

  


"Hah, then we're exactly the same age! I was born on 31st of July, too," Harry retorted triumphantly.

  


Albus cleared his throat delicately, and the two boys looked at him at once.

  


"As much as I would have liked to remain uninvolved, I have to throw in the fact that you have been born around six o'clock in the evening, Harry."

  


The green-eyed teen huffed at that, but Holly patted his arm warmly. "Don't worry, Harry, you will soon realize the joys of having an older brother, and be thankful that you are not the oldest. Jamie has a lot of trouble behind him because of the two of us, even though he prevented us from doing at least twice as much. Being a younger sibling, you can relax and pass the responsibility part up to him if need be and he will sort it out for you. Believe me, he has very much practice in that."

  


"You can say that again," Jamie confirmed dryly, and Harry grinned at his 'siblings' banter. 

  


Albus inwardly sighed with relief. It was so good to see Harry smile again, be so much like himself again. He just hoped at least one of the McGonagall kids would be sorted into Gryffindor that evening, but he doubted that something like mere House rivalries could keep them apart. 

  


Smiling contentedly, he glanced down at his watch. "Excellent, thanks to Holly we are early and have still time to visit the Menagerie."

  


"The Menagerie? What for?" asked Lily.

  


"To buy you a pet or two," Albus replied like it was the most logical thing to do. 

  


"But we already have Jeanne," Heather reminded him.

  


"A phoenix is a familiar for one person only, and I strongly assume she will choose among you soon, if she has not already done so. With whom was she this morning?"

  


"With me," Holly said, "She was already there when I woke up, but left when we went out."

  


The silver-haired wizard nodded knowingly. Rose had already thought so. "Moreover, a bird for correspondence might come in handy."

  


"My ravens can see to that, Albus. It's about time they finally earn their food," Severus suggested.

  


Lily looked him in mild surprise. "You have ravens, Severus?"

  


"Yes, they roam the towers most of the time. Voldemort thought they were too obvious to use for messengers and ordered me to send owls instead."

  


"Anyways, let's go and have a look. Maybe you find a suitable companion in there, and if not, we will still be back at the school in time for lunch," Albus gently put an end to their discussion and set off for the Magical Menagerie.

  


When all of them were inside, the place was quite a bit crowded just with them, so they quickly separated to look around and see the different animals the Menagerie held. But as it turned out, before they could find any pets, their pets found them.

  


A loud hiss in the back of the shop made them jump, and Harry was only thanks to his Seeker-reflexes able to dodge the white blur that shot through the dim-lit room. Heather was not so lucky and the impact that followed knocked her into the shelf behind her. 

  


"Ouch, that hurt!" she exclaimed, but came over her shock in a few heartbeats and looked down on the source of the agitation which she had instinctively caught in her arms. Bright red eyes in a white-plumaged, slightly owlish face glanced up at her, and the bird ruffled its feathers, disentangled itself from her grasp and settled on her left arm. It was white with dark-grey wings, shoulders, back and tail and a purplish gloss on the shoulders and upper-back, and resembled a large falcon except for the forked tail. The strange bird gave her a searching look, clicked its beak and climbed swiftly up her arm to settle on her shoulder. 

  


"Merlin," Heather said in surprise, "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

  


"Seems like it wants to stay with you," James commented in amusement.

  


His daughter shot him a half-glare. "Thanks, Dad, I would never have guessed. What kind of bird is this anyway?"

  


"I think it's a Kite, little flower. But certainly the lady behind the counter knows for sure," he replied with a smile, "So we should..."

  


But what he thought they should have done was cut short by a loud hiss of the bird on Heather's shoulder and an answer right beside him that made him jump and look down. A large, cat-like creature, obviously a Kneazle, met his gaze with intelligent eyes and mewed. It had silky midnight-black fur and silver eyes, and was now sniffing at him gracefully. Apparently satisfied with what it found, it mewed again, and rubbed its pretty head on his leg.

  


"Merlin," James echoed his daughter's words, "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

  


The Kneazle just circled his legs once, and then looked up at him with a request in its eyes. The blue-eyed man sighed, and bend down and petted the creature, which started purring instantly. Finally admitting defeat, James sighed once more, and scooped the Kneazle up carefully. It didn't seem to mind at all, but closed its eyes in pleasure and continued to purr contentedly. Taking a closer look, he saw that its shiny coat was not purely black as he had first thought, but was speckled with tiny white dots, like stars in the night sky.

  


"Mhm, a pretty one you are," he told the Kneazle, but it merely opened one eye and gave him a Tell-me-something-I-don't-already-know look.

  


The bird on Heather's shoulder had watched the seen cautiously, and now fluffed its feathers again before it made a sound that sounded like a huff.

  


James shook his head softly and grinned at his daughter. "I think we should go and talk to the lady behind the counter. It seems our pets have found us."

  


"Looks like that, Dad," Heather replied and returned his grin, and together they walked back to the front of the shop where they met Albus, Severus and Lily.

  


"Oh, no, not you two again," said the witch when she saw them coming, "How often have I told you not to scare the customers with your silly games?"

  


Both the bird and the Kneazle managed to look very guileless and innocent, and the witch snorted.

  


"Don't you give me that look, Stardust, Silkswift, I know you better than that." 

  


Turning to James and Heather she said: "I hope they didn't bother you too much. They are quite the pair, always playing catch to scare away people who might want to take them. But I see you get along rather well with them, that's amazing!"

  


"Well, actually we didn't do much, they just came to us and now they seem to have decided to stay," James replied, chuckling.

  


"They are a Kite and a Kneazle, aren't they?" Lily asked curiously.

  


"Yes, as you can see, Stardust is a Kneazle. She came in here quite a while ago and seemed satisfied to stay and wait for the right witch or wizard to come across her. But then, last summer, Silkswift arrived. She's a Swallow-tailed Kite and has the ability to become invisible when she flies during dusk or dawn or in dull weather, but remains plainly visible in sunlight. Ever since their first encounter, they settled on their peculiar game, and some days, the Kneazle would chase the Kite through the shop if anyone comes near them, other days it's just the other way around. You are the first people they have accepted so far! Please, will you take them? They've already been here way too long!" the witch asked them hopefully.

  


Four pairs of pleading eyes turned on James who laughed at their expressions. "Oh, alright! It would take a tougher man than me to resist all those puppy-dog eyes. If they want to come with us, we will take them."

  


Stardust just rubbed her head gracefully against his chin and purred, and Silkswift flapped her wings and chirped enthusiastically.

  


"Then it's settled," the witch stated happily. "Do you have a license for Kneazles?"

  


James frowned. "No, I haven't. Is that a great problem?"

  


"Well,.." the witch started, but Severus cut her off.

  


"No need to worry, I have one. I will purchase the Kneazle so that it's legally right, but no-one can expect me to keep her from strolling around in the castle, if you get my meaning," he said with a wink.

  


James smiled at him warmly. "Thank you, Severus. I owe you for that one."

  


The Slytherin made a dismissive gesture. "Consider it a sign of my gratitude for making me see reason." 

  


"Thank you all the same."

  


"You're welcome," Severus replied and Albus felt very proud of the young man. He really seemed to have overcome the past and his more than unpleasant memories of James Potter. Granted, James had really been a royal brat most of the time, personifying several of the faults the Gryffindor traits can turn into when taken too far, but at least he had seen reason when Severus had been almost killed by Remus. It had been too late to cease his enmity with the Slytherin then, but it had put him on the course that had finally led him to the Order of the Phoenix, together with his friends. 

  


The silver-haired wizard sighed. The past was indeed a troublesome affair.

  


It was his Potions Master's voice that eventually interrupted his thoughts again. "Now has anyone seen Harry, Jamie and Holly?" he asked.

  


"I think they're back on the other side," said the witch.

  


"I'll go get them," Holly volunteered and went to the far corner of the shop.

  


A short time after she was gone, Holly and Harry came back, laughing and joking.

  


"Jamie and Heather are still back there, he wanted to show her something and she would like to stay behind with him because she still has several questions about how to take care of Silkswift properly, so Harry described them where the Quidditch supply is and they said they would meet us there in ten minutes, if that's okay by you," the red-haired girl told her father.

  


"What do you say, Uncle Albus? Is it safe enough?" he asked the old wizard.

  


"I should think so. Quality Quidditch Supply is just on the other side of the street. You can go in and I will keep an eye out for them," he suggested.

  


"Then go tell them it's okay."

  


Harry hurried back to the other two while the adults paid for the Kneazle and the Kite, and they were just finished when he joined them again. Together, they left the shop and crossed the street to the Quidditch Supply, and on the way Harry told them the story about how Hermione had found her cat Crookshanks in the Menagerie. Fortunately, any uncomfortable questions regarding the rat involved were cut short by Harry's enthusiasm when he was faced with his favorite sport. He explained Holly the basics and when she started asking questions, they were already joined by Heather and Jamie. 

  


Both had a gleam in the eye that soon found its echo in Harry's and Holly's eyes, and Albus sighed once again, knowing that had to mean they were up to something. He cast a questioning look at Holly, and the girl nodded slightly. 'Later' she mouthed, and he nodded in turn, even though he already had a fairly good idea what she would tell him. Well, as long as she did tell him, it would be alright.

  


He looked back to the others, Severus who was talking quietly with Lily and James, discussing magical creatures with them, Harry, who was trying to illustrate his Quidditch explanations with gestures now, much the amusement of the others, who were nevertheless listening to him with fascination, and happiness warmed his heart. 

  


This was the way things should be. And he would do what had to be done to ensure the success of what his sister had started.

  


Determination suddenly making him feel years younger instead of weighing him down as it used to do before the McGonagalls had entered his life, he straightened and set off to take his family home to Hogwarts.

  


  


  


  


***************

  


A/N:

  


**Thank you for the reviews!!!** From what you wrote I take it that I'll just continue as I planned until you tell me you don't like it, okay?

  


Oh dear, I'm tired right now! And exams are drawing nearer and nearer...

  


  


Alright people, let me put one thing straight: **I don't like the fifth book and I will continue to write this story as if it never existed!!!**

  


  


Furthermore, I had to divide this chapter, because I realized it grew way too long. So I rather posted the first half of it now, and I will add the second part later. Sorry about that, but the characters took over the plot once more... I hate it when they do that. It makes me feel like having no control about them...

  


Anyways, I hope to have the other half out soon, part of it is already written.

  


So please be patient, and I will deliver you the afternoon and the Sorting as soon as possible.

  


Thanks to the one who invented the Welsh Red Dragon.

  


  


Greetings,

  


Scheckie

  


  


  



	20. Welcome back at Hogwarts!

  
  


Second Chances

  
  


  
  


Chapter 18: Welcome back at Hogwarts!

  
  


  
  


When they arrived at Hogwarts, they still had a little more than one and a half hours left, thanks to Holly. 

Albus excused himself at the stairs which led to his office, telling them that regretfully he had a desk full of paperwork to deal with after his absence in the morning, but that he really looked forward to seeing them again at lunch and left.

Severus, Lily and James decided to go down to the dungeons to store away their purchases and explore their rooms. Holly, looking worse for wear, announced tiredly that she would go with them to take a short nap before lunch and stressed her point with a huge yawn. But even so she glanced at the others and told them that she most certainly wouldn't mind it if they took Harry to the Infirmary so that he could have his eye-sight corrected as soon as possible. Her siblings complied to her request, and agreed to accompany their new brother to the Hospital Wing and then go looking for their cousins and Hermione. 

  
  


Once inside Severus' chambers, Lily heaved a small sigh of relief. The dark-haired man turned to her and gathered her in his arms, smiling slightly.

"So exhausted by the morning, my love? Perhaps you should think about following the example of your niece and sleep a bit."

The beautiful witch sighed again and snuggled against him.

"I'm not tired, and I think you know that, my dear Potions Master. It's just... as much as I love our family, this private time with you has become very precious to me over the past days." She looked at him, her emerald eyes full of love. "It's been such a long time that I allowed a man into my life, and I'm only now starting to realize what I have missed all the years."

He caressed the smooth skin of her cheek tenderly, and pressed his lips briefly on hers in a featherlight kiss.

"I know what you mean. Your presence fills an emptiness in me I thought I could forget, but I know now I couldn't. You make me whole again, my bright Flame."

She answered by catching his mouth in a much firmer, more passionate kiss that left them both breathless. This time it was Severus who sighed with annoyance.

"I would love nothing more than to ravish you here and now, you know that, don't you?" he growled in his silken tones.

Lily shuddered deliciously in his embrace and slid her arms around his neck to tangle them in his soft, shiny hair, her fingertips grazing his scalp lightly.

"I would love that, too," she breathed in his ear. "But I have to admit that I enjoy to savour things. I want our first time together to be perfect. Tomorrow is Saturday, isn't it?"

Severus groaned.

"You're putting my self-restraint to a hard trial, woman." He paused. "But you are right, like so often, as much as I regret to admit it."

Green eyes glittered darkly at him. "If it makes you feel better, I can tell you that it's not any easier for me at all, love."

They kissed again, calmer this time, and then, with regret, separated a bit.

The Slytherin took a deep breath. "Now what would you like to do instead?" he asked.

Lily tilted her head to one side. "Well, you said something about a tour through your chambers yesterday... "

He smoothed an unruly curl back from her face. "Alright, then here we go."

  
  


After having made sure that his weary daughter was comfortably tucked in and fast asleep, James had returned to the living-room and examined their new home briefly before he stored away the purchases they had made in Diagon Alley. Now he could finally take the time to look at their chambers properly for the first time, just like Stardust was doing at the moment.

They were definitely larger than he had thought when he had seen them on the previous night. There was a living-room, a generous kitchen, a dining-room with a table big enough for the whole family, the three bedrooms and a luxurious bathroom. Several windows, obviously enchanted, provided beautiful views of the grounds. At the moment, they showed the sparkling white winter wonderland outside where the sun turned the frozen snow into a myriad of diamonds and as a pleasant side effect illuminated the chambers brightly. The golden sunlight brought a warm shine to the reddish wood of which the furnitures were made, cherry, he guessed. It went harmoniously with the carpets and curtains, all of them in Slytherin Green, and made the rather severe looking colours appear less tense. Other decorations, much more subtle though, were kept in either bronze and blue or black and yellow. Several portraits occupied the stone walls, one showed a book and a raven, one a badger peeking out from between the big roots of a great oak. Another was of two men on a ship, a dark-haired, slim green-clad fellow who held a staff in his left hand with a silver snake wound around the upper end, and a blond, more muscular built wizard in ruby-red robes whose right hand lay on the shoulder of a large, handsome golden lion. Both had a determined expression on their faces and stood straight even though the ship was every now and then shaken roughly by a rebellious wave. Some others showed beautiful garden scenes, so detailed that you could see the fishes swimming in the pond of one and the birds picking corn from a feeding place in another, while the ones around the fire-place captured the exotic beauty of a jungle, with orchids, vines, strange, big-leaved plants and large trees. Myriads of different animals were hiding in them, tree-frogs, lizards, snakes, monkeys, parrots, big cats, rodents, birds, and many more. James could imagine very well to sit there, watch the pictures, enjoy the fire and relax.

'Yes,' he thought, 'this is definitely a place that could become our home.'

The fire cast dancing lights on the walls which were covered with several ceiling-high bookshelves. The ebony-haired man strode over to them and let his gaze wander over the titles. Many of them were Potions books, but there were others about all the other subjects, as well as music, art, the Wizarding Society, and other things. He was pleasantly surprised to find some of the shelves filled with Muggle literature. Sighing, he returned to the Potions books and ran his fingers tenderly over some cherished titles. He liked Potions, even though his real love lay elsewhere. Lily and he had always had a passion for learning and the hunger for new knowledge had never left them. He couldn't wait to read through these books, learn their secrets and try to conquer them. They posed a challenge to him that he always enjoyed to take up, a challenge for the mind. So much to learn, so much to master and, at last, to teach. James loved to teach, the time when they had started to instruct his children had been one of the best in his life. And what use was knowledge if you couldn't share it?

Lost in his pondering his wandering fingertips suddenly caught on the spine of a slim book that protruded a bit more than the others. Curious, he took it out and examined the slim tome. It was a yearbook, not overly old and with the four House Crests on the front cover, one of many in that row of the shelf. It seemed the old Potions Master had kept the yearbooks of all classes that had graduated under him. _HOGWARTS CLASS 1971-78 _the title read and out of an impulse, he opened it and skipped through the pages. 'Lily and I would have started in 1974,' he mused and found himself looking down on the page of the Gryffindors who were all smiling up at him, some of them waving and cheering. His eyes widened when one of the students that were sitting in the front of the picture jumped up with a soundless yelp. The young man span around and glared at another boy behind him who had put a studied innocent expression on his face. But it was not that which clued James' gaze to the tall Gryffindor with the dark, unruly hair and the glasses. It was the fact that what he was staring down at a man who looked exactly like a younger version of himself, and the girl at his side who lay a soothing hand on his arm and shot the boy behind them a warning glance was the very image of Lily. 

All of a sudden, he felt the room waver around him and the familiar surge of his gift washed through him.

  
  


"... And don't forget, Mr Potter, no flying for the next seven days! It will take a while to get used to the changes in your three-dimensional vision and I don't want you back here with some broken bones because you miscalculated a distance on your broom. Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey, crystal-clear," Harry replied serenely.

The Nurse gave him a suspicious look, but nodded nonetheless. "Then out with you. I'm sure you have something better to do that spend your day in the Hospital Wing, especially considering that you ought to be quite familiar with it by now, with all those times you've been here."

The raven-haired Gryffindor grinned at her words and rose from the chair he had been sitting on. "Thank you, Ma'am."

"You're welcome, Mr Potter. Just try not to end up here for a while, will you?"

The teen had come to stand next to Jamie who gave him back the jumper he had held for him. "Sure, Ma'am. Goodbye."

The others echoed his goodbye and together they left the Infirmary.

"And where do we go now?" asked Heather once they were outside and Silkswift sat once again perched on her shoulder after having had to wait for them in the corridor.

"I could show you around a bit if you like," Harry suggested.

She tilted her head to one side. "I would like that, but we have barely one hour left and I'm sure Holly wouldn't want to miss it. Perhaps we could go find the others and explore the castle and the grounds after lunch?"

"Sure, they'll probably be in the Gryffindor Common Room at this time. Just follow me. But I have to warn you, it's an awful lot of stairs to climb."

Heather just grinned at his words. "Physical exercises raise the appetite. Lead on, Sir Potter."

Harry bowed mockingly. "Your wish is my command, Lady McGonagall."

And laughing, they set off for the Gryffindor Tower, the Kite launching into the air and trailing around them.

  
  


"Oh Severus, this view is spectacular!" Lily exclaimed in joy and turned slowly around, savoring the magnificent panorama of the castle and the whole grounds beneath them.

"I know." The Potions Master stepped up to her from behind and slid his arms around her waist, gently drawing her against him to shelter her from the cold breeze.

They were on the third highest tower of Hogwarts, the North Tower, which provided the best view of the area. Both had become restless in the dungeon chambers only too soon, the sweet tension in the air finally getting too much for them, until they had decided to flee the temptation and go looking for the Slytherin's ravens. Dreamily watching the white landscape and snow-covered roofs of the castle, she thought back to what he had showed her. His quarters were far less dark than she had first thought, especially the bathroom was really breathtaking with the large crystal turning the sunlight into a myriad of colours. He even had some windows which looked over the lake, one of which she had secretly chosen to be one of her favorite spots in his rooms, the corner of a broad window sill with a nice view of the lake and the Forbidden Forrest behind. Although the windows provided enough light, he had several magic lights in tactically advantageous places and merry flames were dancing in the fireplace. The dark furnitures seemed to be made of teak wood and together with the green and silver decor they gave an expression of coolness that was fortunately belied by the warmth of the fire. Many bookshelves lined the high walls, and Lily's eyes had lit up brightly when she had briefly examined his extensive library, which in turn had made him chuckle in amusement. What she had noticed though had been a certain lack of personal things like photographs, little figures and such, but despite a strangely 'unfinished' kind of look his chambers had been warm and welcoming, and she could well imagine to live there she summarized the last hour in contentment.

A hoarse croak shook her out of her thoughts and as she looked up, she saw two large, black birds descent from the clear blue sky above them.

In a smooth, practiced motion her black-clad partner raised both arms and the ravens landed noisily. They were beautiful birds, black and glossy, their shiny feathers gleaming like black mother of pearl in the sunlight. Both were croaking and beating their wings in excitement.

"Drap deid, _Capo_, ye're back!" shouted the one on his right hand.

"Keep yer hair on, it sure tuik him bloody long enough!" snarled the other.

The first snorted. "Ah'm a corbie, ye _scemo_, Ah hae nae hair."

"Manners, featherbrains, or I will reconsider my decision about not using you as potions ingredients!" Severus growled, and the second raven who was just about to answer shut its beak with a snap.

Satisfied with the effect of his words, the wizard smirked and turned to his beloved. "The one on my right hand is Mercutio, the other Romeo. They can talk, as you have seen, even though they speak a terrible mix of Italian and Scottish, but they have their uses." He turned his gaze back to the birds and glared at them. "This is my Lady, Lily McGonagall. You will address her with respect and politeness and watch your language when talking to her. Is that understood?" 

"Mechty me, _Capo_, ye found yerself a hen!" exclaimed Mercutio and hopped up on his shoulder to get a better view.

"I'm still waiting for an answer, my potential lab rats," he scolded with a stern expression but humor sparkled hidden deep in his eyes.

Lily bit back a giggle, but lost her fight against a warm smile. Those ravens were priceless.

"Oh, keep the heid, we got it," croaked Romeo, eying the red-haired witch up and down. "She's aye bonnie!"

This time she did chuckle, gave a mock bow and continued to smile at the two birds.

"Thank you, you're not bad-looking at all yourself." Both ravens seemed to grow a bit smug at her words and she chuckled again inwardly. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Romeo, Mercutio."

"Delighted, _Donna_," Mercutio practically purred.

"Aye," the other bird agreed, breached the distance between them with a few wing-beats and settled on Lily's fore-arm, "Charming. She even smells guid."

She laughed merrily and started to stroke Romeo's shiny breast feathers. "I'm honored to find your approval. I like you, too."

If Mercutio had almost been purring before, his companion now certainly did. "Mhm, dinnae let her go, _Capo_. _Non mai_."

Severus sighed softly, came over to his love and touched her lips briefly with his in a featherlight kiss. "I don't intend to do otherwise."

"Dae that mean ye got rid o the damn auld snake?" Mercutio asked hopefully.

"I am no longer a spy," was all the Potions Master replied.

Romeo croaked joyfully. "_Meraviglioso_! Dae ye tak us back then?"

Severus narrowed his eyes and glanced at them measuringly. "That depends."

"WHAT!" both ravens squawked indignantly.

"Well, you seem to have taken on a few bad habits. Your language is fouler than ever, your manners are near to nonexistent, and just last week the Fat Friar told me you were playing pranks on some Hufflepuff third years. You surely understand that I can't expect Lily to let your reputation fall back on her."

The birds had the grace to look properly embarrassed and fluffed their plumage until they resembled two large black feather-balls. 

"Please, _Capo_, tak us back!" pleaded Mercutio.

"We promise we'll be guid!" added Romeo.

"An we'll behave!" promised the other.

"Oh puuuleaaaase!!!" both begged, making big puppy-dog eyes.

Lily was by now struggling very hard to keep a half-way serious expression, and even Severus' onyx eyes were sparkling openly.

"Well, perhaps... . Maybe you could show your good intentions in a time of probation?" he asked casually.

"Jings, aye!" they shouted eagerly.

The ebony-haired wizard nodded. "You will return to your nest in the dungeons then and resume your duties as both Lily's and my messenger birds. For now."

"Smashing!" Romeo croaked.

"Aye," his friend agreed.

"Then off with you, I'll expect you after lunch."

"Aye, _Capo, _bye."

"Cheerio, _Donna_."

"See you later, you two," Lily replied cheerfully, and a moment later the ravens were but black points in the sky.

Severus put an arm around her and shook his head softly while they watched them vanish.

"Are they always like that?" she asked and snuggled against him.

"No, usually they are worse. Today, they were happy to see me again, and in addition they really seem to be fond of you."

She chuckled softly. "I like them. They remind me of someone..."

"Do I know her?" he asked with feigned innocence, raising a jet-black eyebrow.

"Oh, I think you know _him_ quite well," she retorted sweetly, lying her arms loosely around him.

He smirked. "Really? Well, now that you mention it, if you ignore the language thing their attitude does indeed bear certain resemblances to Albus'."

She laughed heartily, and planted a firm kiss on his lips. "Brat."

Hungry for more, he tangled his hands in her dark red locks when she tried to pull back and drew her into a deep kiss.

The cold breeze was soon forgotten as the sun smiled down on the pair and the heat of their passion warmed their hearts.

  
  


He_ is standing in a room with cold stone walls, in the dungeons _he_ guesses. Students are working at their tables, preparing ingredients and stirring the liquid in their cauldrons. There are about twenty of them, approximately fifteen years old, a Fifth Year Potions class, _he_ concludes. All students are wearing their black robes and old-fashioned school uniforms beneath them, and walking from workbench to workbench is a tall wizard in dark green robes. His impressive height is accentuated further by his athletic build and his bronze skin, his charismatic features emphasized by his lack of hair on his head, obviously shaven, and his piercing brown eyes seem to catch everything going on in his classroom._

_Looking around, _he_ recognizes some of the students' faces. A younger version of Lily is carefully cutting ginger roots, while her partner, a sweet-faced girl with long brown hair is stirring their potion counter-clockwise. Judging from the ingredients and the look of it, they are brewing a variation of the Wit-Sharpening Potion, and sure enough as _he_ glances up to the board _he_ can see the familiar recipe. Two benches apart, a young Severus is grounding scarab beetles next to a dark-haired boy with cold sapphire eyes. His eyes flicker to the red-haired girl occasionally, and hers light up when she meets his gaze. So this is Lily Evans, _he_ thinks. Severus' eyes darken as he looks past her and upon following his gaze, _he_ sees a boy that reminds him strongly of _his_ best friend at the side of a smaller boy with watery eyes, an unsteady gaze and a nervous, humble air about him. The first must be Remus, Romulus' little brother and the other Peter Pettigrew, the traitor, if _he_ recalls the letters Romy has shown _him_ correctly. Remus has a tense expression as if he is upset about something, but then again that could be because their potion has taken on an ugly shade of yellow where it should be orange-red. _He_ continues to look around and almost instantly _his_ eyes are drawn to the table next to Remus' and Peter's, one row behind Lily's, and one row and two workbenches across from Severus'. _His_ carbon copy, James Potter, is whispering something to the black-haired boy with the mischievous eyes next to him, and the boy nods and cautiously starts to warm the amardillo bile. There is something about him that fascinates _him_. The thick mane of ebony hair? The cerulean blue eyes sparkling with mirth? The confident motions? _He_ doesn't know, but _he_ has read what Remus wrote about Sirius Black and _he_ has to admit that the man _he_ has heard of intrigues _him_. In the meantime, Severus' eyes have wandered so that both of _them_ are now gazing at the two boys. When Sirius notices Severus' glare, he just sneers at him, an expression of contempt on his face. Looking over to their teacher, _he_ sees that the tall wizard has observed the exchange and is watching his students closely out of the corners of his eyes._

_The Slytherin returns his attention to his cauldron and adds the scarab beetle powder, and after a minute of stirring in specific patterns carefully measures seven drops of the warmed amardillo bile, not without reassuring before that the two black-haired Gryffindors in the last row are nowhere near him and have no wands in sight. He relaxes slightly when the fluid sizzles and turns blue shortly after. Now it is stable and just needs to simmer for another ten minutes to preserve it. Starting to clean up their workspace, he completely misses the prod James gives Peter. The smaller boy swallows and starts to add the amardillo bile. Five, six, seven,... eight, nine. Oh no, _he_ groans inwardly as the potion turns an angry green and boils over violently. Peter and Remus just manage to jump out of the way before the corrosive mixture begins to collect in a growing puddle on the floor, hissing and sizzling and eating away at anything that doesn't escape fast enough._

_"No panic," orders the deep voice of the Potions Master calmly, "Stand back." _

_His students comply at once, ensured by their teacher's calmness and with quick, determined strides he approaches the boiling cauldron, puts the fire out and dusts a glittering powder over the green liquid in it and on the floor. The potion turns white and milky instantly, and stops boiling._

_"Has anyone come in contact with the liquid?" the teacher asks. Shaking heads and murmured "No, sir"s meet his inquiring gaze. "Good."_

_He turns to the two Gryffindors. "Five points from Gryffindor for sloppy work. You will both write together a five- foot essay about what exactly caused this reaction, how you could have prevented it immediately after it happened and what I did to stop it, due on Monday. In addition, you will see me tomorrow after dinner to show me you are capable of brewing it properly. Now go and clean this mess up."_

_"Yes, Professor Avila," the boys mutter with downcast eyes and everyone returns to their places._

_As _he_ never left his place among the workbenches _he_ seems to be the only one to have noticed James returning from the direction of Severus' cauldron and with a sinking feeling in _his_ stomach _he_ realizes that the boy must have used the distraction provided by his friends to slip something in the Slytherin's potion. And indeed as _he_ turns to the working space, _he_ sees an empty vial lying on the table, a few drops of a silver liquid hinting at its former content. _He_ grows cold as _he_ recognizes it as the Exploding Fluid from inside an Erumpent's horns. Combined with ginger roots and amardillo bile it makes a potion called Dragon's Breath, named for the famous blast flames the highly inflammable mixture produces when heated over room temperature. But _he_ can't do anything aside from watching as disaster threatens to unfold._

_Severus, coming back to his cauldron catches on the situation in record time when he sees the liquid turn a violent shade of fire-red, and he blanches as he realizes that he won't be able to do anything in time, not with his wand out of reach and the ingredient's reaction already setting in. _He_ holds his breath upon seeing that the poor boy won't even have the time to get away from his cauldron far enough. Wincing in sympathy, _he_ remembers the one time _he_ had messed up with Dragon's Breath. Not deadly, but awfully painful that was. If no miracle happens to save him, Severus will be up for several weeks in the Hospital Wing._

_"Tempus Consistet!" a female voice shouts from across the room and all movements in the cauldron and about one foot around it stop. Even the flames beneath it are frozen in mid-motion, and _he_ heaves a relieved sigh. Seems the boy has a lucky streak with miracles, _he_ thinks as _he_ looks over to the red-haired girl who stands a few yards away, eyes wild and wand trained on Severus' cauldron, but then he most certainly deserves it._

_The Potions Master is at his student's side immediately, an unstoppered vial with golden dust in his hand._

_"Excellent reflexes, Miss Evans," he says calmly. "Fifteen points to Gryffindor for your quick reaction and another five points vicarious from Professor Flitwick. I'm certain he will be delighted to hear that one of his Fifth Years is capable of performing a charm even the majority of his Seventh Years are unable to accomplish. You can take it off now."_

_"Yes, sir. Finite Incantatem," she commands, white as a ghost now that the shock has had time to catch up with her._

_Professor Avila's hand moves quick as a striking snake, and the golden powder, ground female Erumpent horn, probably the only reason the race hasn't died out yet, neutralizes the Exploding Fluid. The potion's colour returns to its deep blue, and nothing remains that reminds of the disaster that very nearly took place just moments ago. The Potions Master stoppers the vial and puts it back into a pocket inside his robes, in the same motion taking his wand out of another one._

_"Revela Possessor Postremus," he orders, pointing the silver-grey piece of wood at the vial._

_A misty glow grows around it and forms a delicate tendril that drifts slowly through the air until it reaches one of the two black-haired Gryffindor boys. Eyes burning, the Professor nods grimly._

_"Mr Potter. I thought so." He turns his dark gaze from James to Sirius who wears a studied bored expression. "And I have no doubts who provided you with the Fluid. You two disgust me. It is unintelligible for me how you ever made it into Gryffindor with that astonishing lack of honesty, fairness and conscience. And not only do you two exhibit such a shaming behavior, but you also persuade others to follow you in your cowardly attacks."_

_His piercing eyes sweep from the dark-haired youths to Remus and Peter._

_"I am more than disappointed with you. Especially you, Mr Lupin, should have known better. As a prefect, it is your duty to protect your fellow students from harm, not help putting them into danger. If you value partaking in devastating actions like today's higher than your other responsibilities, you should seriously consider stepping back from your post."_

_He turns slightly, so that he can loom down on all of them._

_"Twenty points from Gryffindor. Each." _

_Sirius looks up at that and opens his mouth to protest, but a death-glare from his teacher shuts him up before he can utter a word._

_"Since you were so willing to send Mr Snape to the Infirmary, you will go there in his stead. You will scrub bed pans, clean whatever Mme Pomfrey deems necessary and do whatever else she asks of you. Without magic. At the weekends, you will help her in the mornings and report to me in the afternoons." He pauses for a moment, then continues. "The burnings that would have resulted had Miss Evans not stepped in so quick-witted would have taken at least three weeks to heal, so your detentions will go on for six weeks."_

_They gasp at that, and he adds unimpressed:_

_"Six weeks at best. If I think you have learned your lesson by then, it may be called of. Otherwise it will continue until I am convinced you don't need it anymore. I expect to see the four of you at my office after dinner."_

_Addressing the class, he commands:_

_"Now bottle your potions and clear your workspaces. Mr Snape, Miss Evans, please stay behind, I want a word with you."_

_And with that, he turns and strides back to his desk._

_Behind his back, James scowls at Severus, but the murderous glare that Sirius sends at him surpasses even his friend's hostility. Peter has paled, and is wringing his hands in distress, looking to be on the verge of tears. Remus is the only one of them who seems to be really shaken by what has happened. He looks deeply upset, and his whole body is tense. Lily however, has recovered a bit in the meantime, and the fire in her eyes promises pain for the boys. They are lucky that looks can't kill, _he_ thinks and can't help but notice how much she resembles _his_ Lily in that moment._

_Now wonder that Severus had a difficult time around Harry and me..._

The vision ended as abruptly as it started, and James came back to his senses with a start, kneeling on a soft carpet with the book still in his hands, and Stardust, looking up at him with concern in her silver eyes, made a questioning, mewling sound. He closed the book, smiled reassuringly and reached out to pet the black Kneazle.

"I'm alright, Star, thanks for your concern. The picture just triggered my Sight and I wasn't prepared," he explained.

She eyed him critically, but his answer seemed to satisfy her for she mewed once more, half-closed her eyes and leaned into the caress. He sighed softly as the usual weariness associated with using his gift washed through him, and he decided to make good use of the time left to lunch by resting. So he put the book back on the shelf, making a mental note to go through it another time, and sat down in one of the comfortable-looking armchairs. Stardust jumped onto his lap, curled up lazily, and started to purr as he stroked her silky fur. 

And despite James' intentions to stay awake, the soothing sound soon lulled him into sleep.

  
  


Many stairs later, the three teens stood in front of the painting of the Fat Lady and tried to catch their breath before entering.

The young Gryffindor grinned merrily.

"You know, I think we never were crazy enough to make a race up here," he panted.

Heather grinned back. "It might have been crazy, but it was one hell of fun!"

Her brother nodded. "And it saved us time we can now spend otherwise," he added.

"Right," Harry agreed, his breathing slowly returning to normal, "Are we ready to go in?"

The other two nodded. "Yeah."

"Firebird," he said to the Fat Lady, who had stayed up late last night with her friend Violet and just woke from a light slumber.

"Indeed," she muttered and looked at them sleepily before she caught sight of Harry and Jamie and her eyes widened. "Sweet Merlin! Two Harry Potters! Something must be wrong with my eyes..."

The 'twins' chuckled in amusement. "There's nothing wrong with your vision. This is James McGonagall , and he really does look a lot like me."

The Fat Lady blinked in confusion, then nodded slowly. "Alright, I understand. Oh, and might that be another Weasley?"

Heather grinned up at her and tilted her head to the left. "Yes, my mother was one. I'm Heather McGonagall, Jamie's sister."

The portrait nodded again. "You have the family look," she said knowingly. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. I take it you two are new to Gryffindor?"

"We haven't been sorted yet, but I for my part certainly hope so," the redhead replied with a smile.

"Well, then get in, children, and good luck with the Sorting," the Fat Lady told them and swung open to let them in.

The Gryffindor Common Room was warm and cozy and a merry fire was crackling in the fireplace. The armchairs were indeed occupied by Hermione and the Weasleys, just as Harry had predicted. Ron and Ginny were playing chess, all the while trying to ignore their older brothers who were doing their best to sabotage their game. Hermione had been reading a book -big surprise here- but was now watching the twins' antics with a badly concealed smile. 

They all looked up when the entered the room, and their eyes widened upon the sight of the two ebony-haired youths.

"Blimey, mate, you really did it! I can't believe it," Ron exclaimed and eyed the two boys anxiously. 

Harry chuckled. "I still can't entirely believe it myself, but I think it will turn out really useful. The Fat Lady has already been unable to tell us apart."

His best friend frowned. "I still wonder if it was such a good idea, Harry. It's already bad enough with Fred and George around, but with you two..."

The two aforementioned grinned widely. "Don't worry, little Ronniekins, we'll only teach them our best tricks."

Ron groaned. "Then I'm doomed..."

Harry, Jamie and Heather broke into laughter, but quickly run out of air because they had not completely recovered yet.

"Why are you all so out of breath? Is something wrong?" Ginny asked with a concerned look.

Jamie shook his head and smiled at her. "No, everything's fine. We just made a race up here."

Grins spread on the faces around them, and Hermione was glancing at them with one of her You've-Got-To-Be-Crazy-But-As-Long-As-You're-Okay-It's-Fine-By-Me-looks and before she could make a comment, one of the Weasley twins, Fred, cut in.

"Really? Who won?" he asked with a wide grin.

Harry shrugged. "The Kite."

Everybody's eyes centered on Silkswift at his words, and the bird glittered at them smugly.

"Great," said George fondly, "Congratulation."

"And welcome to the family," his twin added, before shooting the younger girl a questioning glance. "That is if I'm right and this is indeed your new familiar, dear cousin."

The Kite chirped and Heather raised her hand to pet her with a certain pride. "No, you're entirely right. This is Silkswift, she's a Swallow-tailed Kite."

"She's beautiful," Ginny said softly, "May I touch her?"

"If Silk doesn't mind..." the other redhead replied.

The bird fluffed her feathers briefly before slicking them down again, and climbed down to Heather's hand. Ginny took that as permission and stroked the white breast-feathers gently. Silkswift closed her eyes in contentment.

"Kites are fascinating creatures," Hermione stated, "My parents took me to a falconry last summer and it was so intriguing that I borrowed a few books from the library to learn more about birds of prey. Swallow-tailed Kites are among the most adept and acrobatic fliers of all raptors. They catch much of their prey on the wing, eat their catch while flying by bending their head and neck under their body to reach the prey held in their foot, and drink by skimming the surface of ponds and marshes. Usually, they will take lizards, frogs, snakes, large insects, and small birds. These kites live in tropical and subtropical forests with swamps, marshes, and other wet areas. Swallow-tailed Kites are found in the southeast United States and southward through Central America and tropical South America. I wonder how yours found her way to England. Where did you come about her? And how are you going to organize food for her?"

She said all this in one go, and Ron and Harry couldn't suppress a warm smile. It was most reassuring that some things would never change, their Hermione one of them.

"I think she'll go out when she wants to hunt, otherwise we'll find another solution. And how we found each other, well, she kind of knocked into me."

Puzzlement was evident on the others' faces and Heather chuckled, and then filled them in on their experiences in Diagon Alley.

Her story prompted Hermione to tell them about how she had met Crookshanks for the first time, and that in turn led to several more anecdotes.

The rest of the hour passed way too fast and before more than a few stories could be exchanged it was time to go down for lunch.

In better spirits than since the start of term, the Gryffindors and their new friends started to descend the many stairs to the Great Hall.

  
  


Lily and Severus were already seated side by side at the table with Albus and most of the other teachers when the teens entered. Severus was talking quietly to Professor Sinistra who had just returned from Italy where she had spent the holidays with her family in Padova. Stemming from a long line of witches and wizards that went back to Galileo Galilei himself, Kallisto Sinistra was, although a Slytherin to the bone, very tolerant and open-minded, due to her ancestor's history with short-sightened beliefs. Her tanned, oval face showed an expression of concern, but the longer she listened to her black-clad colleague, the more it faded, until she suddenly blinked, eyed Severus up and down, and asked something with obvious surprise. The Potions Master smirked smugly, and Harry and the McGonagalls could just imagine what it was that she had inquired. They noticed, too, that both Lily and Severus had slightly swollen lips and looked a bit flushed. Grinning, they shot each other a knowing glance. 'Thoroughly Snogged' was definitely a good look on the pair. 

Inwardly, Harry shook his head at himself. 'I didn't just think that about my loathed Potions Master, did I?' He looked at the two as he and his friends took their seats. 'Something has changed. I don't know what it is, but I guess he somehow stopped being the Greasy Git this morning when he told me about his relationship with Mum. I should still hate him after all, though, especially after what he said today. Mum and him... Just last term I would have found the mere thought alone disgusting, but now that I know about his role in the Order... And there was something in his eyes when he said the part about how I should have been his son. Was it longing? Regret? Sorrow? I don't know. But when he spoke of Mum, one thing was evident. He really loved her.' The ebony-haired Gryffindor sighed. 'That is all still rather confusing. How can a few hours shatter my picture of the man so thoroughly? Well, I guess I'll just wait and see what comes.' He started to fill his plate with food, and glanced at the couple just once more before he was drawn back into a conversation about dragons by Heather and what he saw somewhat eased the confusion in his mind. Professor Sinistra had just whispered something to her fellow Slytherin, who nodded, drew his new wand and tapped it against his napkin while trying to hide what he was doing from Lily, who remained oblivious to his actions.

The red-haired witch was chatting animatedly with the Muggle-Studies teacher Professor Fry, a pretty, petite witch with short, golden-brown locks and warm, grey-green eyes. Ron and Harry had finally dropped Divination that year in face of the events of their Fourth Year, and while Harry had chosen Ancient Runes, Ron had taken Muggle Studies after a bit of tactical persuading by Hermione and his father. According to him, Professor Fry was a nice, warm-hearted, kind woman and had been in Hufflepuff during her student days. Next to her sat Harry's and Hermione's Ancient Runes teacher, Professor Thurston, a bear of a man who with his long, blond hair, blond beard and sky-blue eyes looked like a viking straight out of a history book. His students, however, soon found him to be quite friendly and jovial, and the stories he often told them made his lessons most enjoyable and were significantly more interesting than Professor Binns' dull droning. In hindsight both Gryffindor boys regretted severely that they had stuck to Divination for so long. Skimming the other seats briefly, he noticed three more missing faces. The Arithmancy teacher Professor Vector was apparently still absent and would probably return with the Hogwarts Express and the rest of the students in the afternoon. But where were James and Holly?

Moments later, the two witches made a pause to continue eating, and Lily turned back, flashing her love a tender smile. He returned her smile with a smug expression and presented her with a flower. It was a lily, its delicate petals the colour of her hair, the stem and leaves a deep emerald green. She looked down on it in admiration. It was perfect. Her eyes shone bright with joy and the love in them was so deep that together with the same expression in the onyx eyes of her partner it seemed to make the air glow around them with the feeling when she thanked him with a loving kiss.

Harry smiled. They were definitely good for each other. Very good. He could only hope he would sometime find someone who would share something like that with him. The teenager sighed again, but before his thoughts could turn dark, the ethereal cry of a phoenix filled the air and the magnificent scarlet and golden bird swooped through the open doors, followed closely by the two missing McGonagalls who rushed into the hall and sat down, looking apologetic at the other occupants.

"Sorry about our being late, but I dozed off, and as Holly was still sleeping..." James excused their delay, slipping on a chair between Kallisto Sinistra and Minerva McGonagall, while his daughter took the seat Heather had saved for her between Harry and herself. Holly smiled gratefully at the two of them and somehow, Harry felt his spirits lift again.

"You're looking better," he said, and he meant it. The weariness in her motions and the shadows under her eyes were gone, and the twinkle was back in the deep blue depths.

"Thank you," she replied, flashing him a smile that made him feel strangely warm inside, "that nap did work wonders. I feel completely refreshed. Though if it hadn't been for Jeanne, I might have slept straight until dinner."

"Jeanne? Who is Jeanne?" the emerald-eyed Gryffindor asked.

The phoenix, who had landed on Lily's hand took flight again at his words and settled on the back of Holly's chair.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you haven't met her yet. Harry, this," she gestured to the beautiful bird, "is Jeanne. Jeanne, this is Harry, and these are our friends and relatives, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Fred and George."

Ginny's eyes widened. "You have a phoenix?"

"She belonged to my grandmother. After Grandma was killed, Jeanne chose to stay with me," her cousin replied.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to remind you of your loss... ," the youngest Weasley began, but Holly interrupted her gently.

"No need to apologize, Ginny. Death, as cruel as it sounds, is a part of life, and an important one at that. It is a hard lesson, but we have made our peace with that. Grandma's sacrifice saved many lives that night, and it still does. We honor her memorybyacceptingthe choice she made."

"That is a very mature thing to do," Hermione commented softly.

Jamie shrugged. "It's what she would have wanted. Could you please pass me the salt, Sleeping Beauty?"

The McGonagall twins grinned and Harry couldn't suppress an amused smile. 'Leave it to Jamie to lighten the mood...'

  
  


The rest of the meal passed in amiable chatter, Holly listening to the others filling her in on what they had done and talked about in her absence. The food was delicious as always, and after a bit of hesitating, the four students from the other Houses joined them in their discussion about the four Houses. Soon even some of the teachers threw in the one or other comment, and before too long, all those presentwere participating with more or less enthusiasm. Albus smiled fondly at his grandchildren. They would be very good for the school with their blatant disregard for House rivalries. He leaned back and enjoyed the friendly conversation between staff and students. When he decided that they all had learned enough about the different Houses and had enough to think about, he used a brief silence to gently end the discussion.

"Oh dear," he exclaimed, "look how late it is! I believe some of us have a staff meeting to attend, and further preparations before our students' return in a few hours to take care of. Holly, Heather, James, I trust your friends to show you around and tell you our rules. You will be sorted before dinner and start your classes on Monday. Your teachers have most kindly agreed to meet with you during the weekend to determine your level of knowledge, so that we can adjust your classes to the education you got at home. I will hand you the exact timetable tomorrow morning. Now I would suggest you make use of the time until the Hogwarts Express arrives and go explore a bit."

The teens beamed at him. "Sure, sir. Thanks for everything," Heather replied, and with warm smiles, they stood, politely excused themselves and left the Great Hall, Silkswift and Jeanne soaring above them.

"You know," James mused, "that is a very good idea. I would very much like to see more of Hogwarts myself."

"I can take Lily and you on a tour," Severus offered, provoking a few curious glances from several of his colleagues who had only ever known him as the snarky bastard.

The red-haired witch smiled merrily. "That would be great. I'm sure there is a lot to learn about the castle."

"Splendid," James said and rose, "Let's go then!"

Bidding their goodbyes, the three adults left the table as well and exited through the large doors.

  
  


Once out of earshot, James turned and looked at his sister and the man she loved with a sympathetic expression.

"Severus, it was kind of you to offer showing me around, but I'll understand if you want some time alone together before the students arrive."

Lily smiled warmly, and shifted closer to the black-clad Slytherin at her side who bore a small smile of his own.

"That is very considerate of you, James, but Lily and I really don't mind at all," the Potions Master replied.

His partner ginned and slipped into his arms. "What Severus wanted to say is that we agreed to wait with being alone together until we have enough time ahead to be able to make the best of it."

Her love spluttered a bit at her openness and a faint blush rose into his cheeks, but James only chuckled.

"No need to be embarrassed Severus, that frank is Lily only with me and Romy, and I can relate to you quite well. Now where do we go first?"

Shaking his head at the two, Severus gathered the remainders of his dignity about him and led the way to the Astronomy Tower.

  
  


While the adults were still exploring the interior of the school after a few hours, the teens had already left the castle and were momentary up on the Gryffindor Quidditch ranks. The boys were explaining the McGonagalls the basics, while at the same time demonstrating them on their brooms. With Fred and George, however, it didn't take long to ensue hilarity, and they finally had to stop because they were all laughing so hard. When everyone was back on the ground again, they heard the whistle of a train in the distance.

"That's the Hogwarts Express," Harry told them, "It seems the others are about to arrive."

Holly held one hand up for Jeanne to land on. "Do you want to go back and welcome them?" 

Ron made a dismissive gesture. "Wasted time. It's only about one hour left before dinner, so we'll see them soon enough."

"And the Common Room will be noisy and crowded, I don't think they'll need us to add to the usual chaos," Ginny elaborated.

Hermione nodded and added: "I think it will be best to introduce you over dinner. The majority of the holiday stories will be exchanged by then and with the others staying on their seats, you will have a better chance at learning their names. Now what about a walk to the lake? We could practice a few spells with you there, to help preparing yourselves for your meetings with the teachers."

"'Mione," Ron groaned, "it's bad enough the poor chaps won't even have a free weekend before term starts. You could at least leave them in peace for these last few hours."

The McGonagalls grinned at his words.

"That's very nice from both of you," Heather replied, "and I think a compromise might be the best solution. I suggest we go down there and spend half of the remaining time practicing magic, and the other half doing whatever comes to our minds. What do you think?"

General appreciation met her question, and they were just setting off for the lake, when Jamie stopped.

"Dear me, I can't find my wand. I must have left it in the Common Room," he said, shooting Harry a pointed look that luckily only his sisters noticed.

"Oh, um, right," the raven-haired Gryffindor opted, "I will go fetch it with you." 

Jamie nodded. "Thanks, Harry." Turning to the others, he added: "You can walk ahead, we will catch up with you as soon as we get back."

The rest muttered their consent and got into motion, and the two boys jogged back to the castle.

  
  


Fifteen minutes later, the McGonagall twins were chatting happily with Hermione and her cousins, when a shadow fell over Ron's face and announced the arrival of another person. The twins turned as one, not hasty, but in a calm, smooth movement, and looked at the newcomer curiously. He was tall, with white-blond hair falling in slight waves down to his shoulders and a sneer on his otherwise handsome, triangular face. 

"Well, well, if that isn't a bunch of weasels and the Gryffindor know-it-all... " 

His silvery-grey eyes glanced arrogantly down on them and widened slightly as his gaze fell upon the two identical red-haired girls.

"Oh dear, don't tell me those are yet another two of your lumpy family! Did your father breed so much of you for some kind of weird old-age pension scheme?" he jeered.

Ron went red in the face, while Ginny's eyes started to glitter dangerously, Hermione clenched her hands into fists and Fred and George grabbed their wands., but it was Holly who stepped forward and said in a sweet voice: 

"Only two out of three, I fear, but then I believe we will grant you some more chances to improve, Mr ... Oh, it seems I missed your name somehow." She smiled her serene smile, and just as Draco opened his mouth to respond, her sister took over.

"No need to ask who you are, though," Heather replied in the way Lucius Malfoy would address a House-Elf, "Blond hair, grey eyes, ill manners and the Slytherin crest on your robes – You can only be a Malfoy. Your parents had better spent some of their tremendous amount of money on a teacher for etiquette instead of buying their little sweetheart the latest racing-broom. But then, Death Eaters probably aren't supposed to behave like a gentleman, now are they?"

Draco's cheeks got a pink tinge and his eyes flashed angrily.

"Don't you dare insult my family, you Muggle-loving scum," he snarled menacingly. 

"My, Holly, one could get the impression he just threatened us," Heather told her twin in mock dismay.

Holly cocked her head to one side, and, casting a probing glance at the Slytherin, shook her head softly.

"No, Heather, I don't believe he is foolish enough to take it up against Hermione, our cousins and us, at least not alone. So, Mr Nameless, I think it will be best for all of us to call a truce for now. No bad talk about our family, no bad talk about yours, agreed?" Her dark blue eyes twinkled mysteriously.

After thinking it through quickly, Draco raised his chin defiantly and sneered proudly:

"Agreed, for the moment, considering term is only just starting on Monday. And my name is Draco. Draco Malfoy. You two had better remember that."

And with this said, he cast each of them a challenging look, threw his silky hair back over his shoulder with a jerk of his head and strode off.

"No bloody way to forget it," Heather murmured, smirking after him.

Holly smiled enigmatically. "Believe me, the Dragon will awake just soon enough."

The others stared at her uncomprehendingly, but her twin just rolled her eyes. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

She only smiled a little brighter at the comment. "You will eventually find out, dear sis. You before all others."

Heather mock-frowned. "Hol, don't scare me. You know I have a delicate nature."

Holly snorted. "Sure."

"Hey, that was not nice," her sister sulked for a moment, but before Holly could open her mouth to answer, she changed topics. "I wonder how he's going to react to the sight of two Harry Potters in the same place..."

"It might be too late for that. There comes Jamie," the redhead replied.

Sure enough, one of the two black-haired boys was coming their way and paused when Draco almost ran into him.

"Sod off, Potter," the Slytherin sneered and shot him a glare.

The other smiled serenely and made a small mock-bow. "Only after you, Malfoy," he retorted with a twinkle in his emerald eyes.

Growling, the blond swept past him and continued his walk to the castle, while the remaining youth just shook his head and strode over to his friends.

"Sweet-tempered fellow," he commented and close up, they saw that it was really Jamie.

Ron snorted. "You can bet on that. One day, he'll go too far, and I will curse him really badly."

Heather made a dismissive gesture. "He's not worth the trouble."

Her twin smiled as though she had said something funny, but remained silent.

"How could you tell that it was Jamie when he was still so far away?" Ginny asked curiously.

Holly thought about it for a moment before she replied: "He walks differently. Harry moves as if he would carry a great weight on his shoulders, while Jamie kind of glides." She shrugged. "It's difficult to explain."

"So I glide when I walk," Jamie mused with an amused expression. "Next thing you'll say I'm the heir of Slytherin."

Heather giggled. "Sure, I can just see you doing that tongue thing, you know..." She stuck out her tongue and imitated a snake tasting the air.

It looked so ridiculous that everyone laughed and the mood lightened despite the bad memories they associated with the story.

Jamie sighed dramatically. "And here went another chance for people to see my true self."

His sister reached over and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Poor Jamie. Don't worry, we love you just the way you are."

This time it was her brother who snorted. "Now my mind's set at peace. How about going down to the lake before any more declarations of undying love are tossed at my feet?"

Again, the others chuckled, and together, they went to the shore and admired the magnificent view.

  
  


Harry was hurrying down the stairs, grateful that most students hadn't arrived yet and hoping he wasn't too far behind his adopted 'twin'. Barely taking notice of his surroundings, he skipped around a corner when he bumped into something solid and was roughly sent to the floor. Trying to catch his breath, he glanced up when he heard a voice curse.

"Damn it, can't you look where you're going, you stupid Gryffindor?"

Emerald eyes met the silver ones of Draco Malfoy which widened slightly upon realizing who had run into him.

"Potter!" the boy exclaimed, obviously surprised. "But I just saw you down near the lake! How did you..."

The wheels in Harry's brain turned swiftly, and he put on a knowing expression, rose and looked down on his Slytherin rival with a smug smile.

"Well, Malfoy, people have always known there's more to me than meets the eye. It's about time you finally realized that, too."

He nodded, inwardly chuckling at the other's puzzled face. "See you at dinner, I suppose."

And with that, he left.

Draco didn't call him back.

  
  


The group at the lake looked up when they saw their friend jog towards them, and let him sit down and catch his breath before starting to ask questions. Telling them he had been held up by the Creeveys, everyone who knew his 'fans' winced in sympathy. The story about his encounter with Malfoy, however, made them all grin, and they were quick to fill him in on their episode with the blond Slytherin.

After a good laugh, they regretted having only about fifteen minutes left, before they would have to return to the castle to change into their robes and prepare for dinner. Having already found that Heather and Holly were naturals when it came to charms, Hermione nevertheless used the time to show them some more spells, only to discover that the same went for Jamie. At the others open praise, the McGonagalls just told them modestly that they did know the theories behind those spells and that learning completely new ones would be a different thing altogether.

Discussing their approaching sorting, the Gryffindors asked their friends what House they would like to be sorted into, but unlike Heather, who hoped she would be in Gryffindor, Holly and James just shrugged and replied that it didn't really matter as long as it was the right House for them. That led to a resumption of the discussion that had started at lunch and with a lot of teasing and friendly bickering, they walked back to the school.

Parting ways at the Entrance Hall, the Gryffindor headed to their dorms, while the McGonagalls went down to the dungeons. The earned themselves several suspicious looks as they met some of the Slytherins on their way, but the students were all younger than them and didn't dare question them. 

Upon entering their quarters, they were greeted warmly by their father, who was already wearing his black robe. Taking turns in telling him about their afternoon while they washed and changed, he supplemented their report with parts of his own tour and the stories Severus had provided them with. It was very interesting to compare the students' and the teachers' point of view and all four of them were fascinated by it. After a few last-minute-adjustments, James and his children were finished and ready to go upstairs and meet the rest of the school. 

Before the passed the large doors, though, James beckoned them to wait for a moment.

"I just wanted to assure you that no matter which House you'll be sorted into, I love you and I am very, very proud of you. As Grandma undoubtedly is, too."

The trio smiled warmly and drew him into a big group hug.

"Thanks, Dad," they whispered, and he pulled them closer for a moment, before he let them go.

The doors opened for them and confidently, they stepped into the Great Hall.

  
  


Harry looked up from his place at the Gryffindor Table and watched James and his children walk towards the High Table. When he managed to catch his friends' attention, he flashed them an encouraging smile, noticing Ron and Hermione next to him do the same. The McGonagalls returned the smile gratefully and proceeded to the teachers' table. 

Once there, James sat down next to Severus, who was already sitting besides Lily. The welcoming smile they gave each other made the students down at the tables whisper in hushed voices, the general topic appearing to be the dark Potions Master. The black-clad Slytherin, however, didn't seem offended in the least and obviously took a great deal of pleasure in smiling at some of those who were staring openly at him, causing them to either turn deadly pale or furiously red. Lily just shook her had amiably and continued to smile.

Jamie, Heather and Holly remained standing, but they didn't need to wait long, for Albus rose from his seat shortly after and all voices died down, until the Great Hall was silent.

"Welcome back at Hogwarts! I am glad to see you all arrived safe and sound. At our staff table, however, you can see two familiar faces missing, and several new instead. Rest assured that Professors Lupin and Hagrid are well, and will return to us as soon as they have completed their missions, which are unfortunately taking them longer than we assumed. Most fortunately though, temporary replacements have already been found."

He smiled his typical Headmaster-smile and his cerulean eyes twinkled with mirth.

"Oh no, that looks like he's up to something," Severus murmured to Lily, who just put her hand in his under the table and squeezed it gently.

"I have appointed Professor Snape your interim Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Potions lessons will be taken over by Professor Lily McGonagall, and her brother, Professor James McGonagall will teach you Care of Magical Creatures. Until your original teachers have returned, I bid all of you to honor them in their absence by working hard and making their substitutes at home."

The Great Hall, though unsure whether this was good news or not, chose to stand on the optimistic side and burst into applause and cheering.

Lily and Severus looked ready to faint on their seats, while James grinned broadly. The teens had joined the other students and clapped enthusiastically.

Lily recovered first of the pair, and shot Albus one of her Are-You-Out-Of-Your-Mind?-looks, while Severus only blinked and swallowed hard.

The old wizard just smiled kindly, and twinkled brightly at all of them, before he continued his little speech.

"As you surely have noticed, three new students have arrived along with your substitute teachers, two will be in fourth year and one in fifth. I hope all of you will welcome them warmly and help them to get comfortable with our school. Before they can join our midst, however, they need to be sorted into their respective Houses. Minerva, if you would continue, please?"

Minerva McGonagall nodded, rose from her seat and went to retrieve the Sorting Hat and the stool on which the students usually sat during the Sorting Ceremony. When she had put both in the same spot where they always stood during the start-of term banquet, she took out a roll of parchment, pushed her glasses up with a move that was typical for her and almost automatically launched into her sorting-ceremony speech.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said.

"McGonagall, Heather!"

Heather left her place at the staff table and did as Professor McGonagall had said. The Hat took its time with her, before it finally exclaimed:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table, having been told about the McGonagall kids by the Harry and his friends, erupted into cheers and applause. Heather smiled, winked at her brother and sister, and walked over to join the rest of her House.

Back at the staff table, Severus had regained his composition, sighed and gave Lily a lope-sided smile.

"Why do I get the feeling we are about to watch the continuation of the famous Weasley family tradition?" he asked in a soft, amused voice.

Lily just grinned at him and squeezed his hand under the table, her eyes twinkling with glee.

"McGonagall, Holly!"

Holly repeated her twin's actions almost exactly. With her, the Hat thought even longer and when it eventually opened its rim to speak, its voice sounded slightly reluctant.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The whole hall stayed silent while Holly gracefully slid off the stool, smiled sweetly and strode calmly to the Slytherin table, her dark blue eyes twinkling. The Slytherins stared at her in wonder, after what Draco had told them about his encounter with the red-haired sisters they would never have thought one of them could be sorted into their House. Holly however, continued to smile her serene smile and instead of choosing a place at the emptier end of the table, she rather took a seat in the midst of them. Someone started clapping then, and soon the rest of the students followed into a respectful applause.

James grinned at Severus. "Looks like we make it our tradition to start new traditions, eh?"

Severus just shook his head in amazement. "Will wonders ever cease? But wait! Does that mean I will have to put up with one of your trouble-makers in my own House?"

Lily snorted. "Watch and wait, love. I wouldn't be surprised if our Holly could show your cunning folk some tricks they don't know yet."

"That's exactly what I fear, my dear," he replied in a low voice.

His partner just smiled, the same serene smile her niece still displayed down at the Slytherin table. 

Neither of them noticed the Transfiguration Professor looking their way, so they completely missed seeing her pale and her eyes widen behind the glasses in realization. Minerva quickly glanced over to Dumbledore, and the old wizard nodded and gave her a look that told her they would talk later, in his office. She nodded back, and, still slightly shaken by her discovery, went on to the last name on her list.

"McGonagall, James!" Professor McGonagall called.

Jamie walked to the stool, apparently untouched by the excitement around him, and put on the Sorting Hat. The Great Hall was so silent one could have heard a needle hit the floor, but the Hat let them wait for a good five minutes in anticipation before it announced its decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

A collective breath that no-one was aware they had been holding in was released and along with the rest of the hall, the Gryffindor table exploded into cheers and clapping, though they seemed still a bit shocked that not all of the McGonagalls had been sorted into their House.

The Headmaster, however, clapped politely along with the others, then gestured for silence once more.

"Regarding the recent developments, I have approached the Ministry of Magic with a special request and now have the official approval of offering you the opportunity to become an Animagus. Alas," he continued, kindly ignoring the hushed whispers that filled the hall at his words, "there are a few restrictions. First, this option is only open to those of you who are in fourth year or higher. Second, your Transfiguration skills must be better than average. Third, you have to be aware of the fact that becoming an Animagus is hard, time-consuming work, hence your overall achievements need to be good enough that you are able to spend the necessary amount of time on your training. If you feel that all of the aforementioned applies to you, you may contact Professor Minerva McGonagall on the matter and she will provide you with further information."

He looked around one more time, noticing all the eager faces at the respective tables and smiled in satisfaction.

"So now that we are done with that, let the meal begin."

He clapped once, and the food appeared on the tables. The students needed no further invitation and tugged in heartily.

  
  


"Poor Holly," Ginny said sympathetically at the Gryffindor table after they had introduced the McGonagalls to Sir Nicholas and their House-mates.

Heather and Jamie looked up at her, then at each other, and burst out laughing. Harry, Ron and Hermione eyed them quizzically and Ginny blushed.

"Sorry," Jamie apologized, looking at the youngest Weasley with a warm smile when he had regained his composition.

"It's just... ," Heather tried to collect her breath before she continued, "... not poor Holly, poor Slytherins!" She grinned mischievously. "They have absolutely no idea what they're in for."

Harry and Ron looked over to the Slytherin table, where Holly was clearly enjoying herself, talking calmly to the students next to her, while most of the others were still eying her uncertainly, including one Draco Malfoy who continued to cast disbelieving glances at the redhead.

"I still don't see how you can stay so calm about all of this. I mean... she's in Slytherin now! And she has a whole House against her. Doesn't that bother you?" Ron demanded genially.

"No," Jamie replied unimpressed, "we... were taught to regard the Houses from a more neutral point of view. While Slytherin is certainly the House for the cunning and the ambitious, that doesn't mean everyone in there is evil. I think it will suit my sister well, and her House-mates will surely learn much from her."

"Learn from her?" Ginny asked, brown eyes wide in disbelief. "They'll make her life living hell!"

Heather smirked and patted her cousin's arm reassuringly. "No chance! Holly will eat them alive!"

Jamie nodded and smiled friendly at the younger girl. "Don't worry Ginny, Holly has her way with people. You'll see, by the end of next week she'll have them all twisted round her little finger."

"You three are... weird,"Ron commented, shaking his head in wonder.

Both McGonagalls grinned at that.

"Why, thank you," Heather said and winked at him. "Now that this has been clarified, what do you people think about the Animagus training?"

This tactical change of topics led the conversation into a much more comfortable direction, and the rest of the meal passed in animated talking.

  
  


***************

  
  


A/N:

Yeah, I know it was way too long since the last update. 

SORRY!

Mea Culpa!!!

First I had all my exams in a rather short period of time, then my pet got injured and the cat of a friend dropped a litter of weak, ill kittens right under our noses. *sigh*   
Now I have all my results save the psychiatry exam and I have passed everything so far. My pet is well again and the kittens have developed into energetic little monsters, except one, Aimee, who didn't survive. Now we're occupied with finding new homes for them, when deep in our heart we'd love nothing more than to keep all of them... Unfortunately we can't, so now I have one, Frenja, and my friend took her sister, Lisa. Frenja means 'cheeky little girl' and believe me, she is one. But I love her.

Furthermore, I had trouble in the lab where I'm working on my thesis – in fact I have summer break but I can count the days I was able to spent at home on one hand. Don't get me wrong, I like the work and it's crucial for my graduation, but it is one of the reasons I can't write as much as I'd like to.

And last but not least, I've working on three other stories more or less simultaneously to overcome my major case of writer's block. You can find the summaries in my bio, but I don't plan to post them until I have them finished. So don't worry, Second Chances will be finished sometime, though not in the near future. If you want me to let you know about new chapters just give me your email-address and I will notify you. 

The characters in this story now will have some time to catch their breath and enjoy life at Hogwarts, so if you have any suggestions about things that should happen before everything gets out of hand again, just write me a mail and I will see if I can put it in.

  
  


THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REVIEWS!!! 

YOU KEEP ME GOING!!!

  
  


Explanations for some terms I used:

  
  


Names

_Avila_: Spanish, means "To watch, be vigilant" or "capable, intelligent"

_Fry_: British surname, means "Freeborn" or "Noble, generous"

_Kallisto_: Professor Sinistra is named after one of the four moons of Jupiter that were discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610

_Thurston_: Scandinavian for "Stone of Thor"

  
  


Spells

_"Revela Possessor Postremus,"_: Reveal your last owner!

_"Tempus Consistet!": _Time stand still!

  
  


Italian words

_Capo_: boss

_Donna_: lady

_Meraviglioso_: wonderful

_Non mai_: never

_Scemo_: idiot

  
  


Next chapter will be about life at Hogwarts, lessons with the new teachers and our students, and about the Animagus-course. (Though I already have some ideas, suggestions for animal forms are most welcome!)

  
  


Until then, have a good time!

Carpe Diem!

  
  


Greetings,

Scheckie

  
  


  
  



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